Mobile kiosks owners protest against local council decision

Three owners of mobile kiosks yesterday filed a judicial protest in the First Hall of the Civil Court holding Qrendi local council liable in damages.

Emanuel Galea, Charles Buttigieg, and Joseph Cauchi declared in their protest that for many years they had set up their kiosks at Qrendi during the village feast, celebrated this year last Sunday.

For the past five years the three men had always set up their kiosks in the same place. However when they applied to the council for a permit to once again put up their kiosks this year they were told that these zones were now going to be allocated to the band club. The three men were allocated new areas in a different zone.

The law governing the permits issued by local councils stipulated that where a local council was going to identify new zones for the placing of kiosks, then it had to give public notice at least two months prior to the village feast. No such notice had been issued by Qrendi local council, submitted the three men.

The Licensing Appeals Board had ruled, on July 1, that the decision of Qrendi local council to change the zones formerly occupied by the three men was null and void. The council was ordered to issue permits to the three men under which they could again occupy the same sites they had previously occupied.

Although the council was duly informed of this decision the three men claimed that the council had refused to issue the permit. The Qrendi mayor had personally prohibited the three men from setting up their kiosks in the areas they had formerly occupied.

In conclusion the three men called upon the council to make good the damages they had sustained as a result of the council's failure to issue them with a permit.

Dr Anthony Ellul signed the protest.