Urban Planning Renews Líbano Nightclub License for the Third Time Despite Supreme Court Ruling

The executive committee of Urban Planning in the City Council of Seville approved on Tuesday a new extension of the license for the Líbano nightclub and La Casa del Estanque, despite the Supreme Court ordering their closure in September 2024.

The administrative concession for the Líbano nightclub and La Casa del Estanque, located in the Parque de las Delicias, expired on February 12, 2022, according to a final ruling by the Supreme Court in September 2024. However, the City Council of Seville has once again extended their operation. On Tuesday, the executive committee of Urban Planning approved "the continuation of precarious operation, under the terms and conditions in which the now-extinguished concession was originally authorized, until the awarding of the new procedure."

The municipal decision contradicts the Supreme Court ruling, which had already firmly established the closure date for both businesses. Following that ruling, the local Government Board decided in October 2024 to enforce the resolution, which required the owners—the Cebolla family—to vacate the park. The Urban Planning Management was tasked with executing the eviction, but it was never carried out.

On the contrary: last summer, the establishments reopened thanks to a first extension of the already expired concession. At that time, the City Council justified the measure by arguing that it was possible "until the new tender we are working on is published." A year later, that tender has still not been published. Instead, Urban Planning has granted a new extension.

From the City Council, they explain that during this last period it has been "operating precariously," and that now "the continuation is authorized until the awarding of the new procedure." However, they do not clarify why a new extension is being granted or when the tender will be published. For its part, Grupo Batuta, the company managing both venues, has declined to make statements to this newspaper.

The history of this concession dates back to 2011. The Monteseirín Government granted Adriano Diez SL, a company linked to Rafael Cebolla, permission to operate hospitality activities in the gardens of the Parque de las Delicias. The maximum term of the concession was eight years, meaning it should have expired in 2019. However, legal issues outlined in the contract extended the deadline to February 2022. But it was not until September 2024, when the Supreme Court ruled, that the expiration became final.

Until then, with no firm judicial resolution, both businesses continued to operate. With the Supreme Court ruling, the local Government Board urged Urban Planning to evict the park. But in 2025, an extension was granted, and now, in 2026, a new extension "under the original terms and conditions" has been granted.

The situation has generated discontent among neighbourhood associations and environmental groups, who denounce the irregular occupation of a public space. Meanwhile, customers continue to fill the terraces of Líbano and La Casa del Estanque, oblivious to the judicial tug-of-war. The City Council claims it is working on a new tender, but does not provide timelines. Until then, the concession is renewed time and again, defying the Supreme Court.