Venturing down the cobbled back streets of Milan in search of a late-night gelato is an intrinsic part of Italian culture for many residents in the city. It is also a must-do for the millions of tourists who visit Italy’s fashion capital each year.

But a new law could put an end to this long-held tradition. Marco Granelli, the city’s deputy mayor for security, recently announced plans to ban the sale of takeaway food and drink after midnight to preserve the “tranquility” of 12 of the city’s busiest districts.

“Our objective is to seek a balance between sociability and entertainment and the peace and health of residents,” Grenelli posted on social media. He added: “We believe in a living city, where young and old people have spaces they can share together.”

The ban, which officials say is necessary to tackle excessive noise in residential areas, would also prevent establishments from serving food and drink in outside areas between the hours of 12:30 a.m. and 6 a.m. on weekdays, and 1:30 a.m. and 6 a.m. on weekends.

Critics say the ban goes against Italian culture and are calling for the law to be modified. If approved, the clampdown would come into force as early as next month and will last until November, after this year’s tourist season has wrapped up.

Milan’s gelaterias are known to be some of the best in the world. Italians passionately debate which gelateria is the best in town, according to Luca Finardi, the general manager of the Mandarin Oriental hotel in the city.

“We each have the ones we love the most,” he says. Brera, the city’s arts quarter, and Garibaldi, well-known for its high-end shopping outlets, are among the 12 districts in the city expected to be policed by the new rules.

Other districts include Nolo, Lazzaretto, Melzo, Isola, Sarpi, Cesariano, Arco della Pace, Corso Como-Gae Aulenti, Ticinese and Darsena-Navigli.