Councils cut down to size over tree pruning

Local councils may no longer prune trees in their localities without seeking authorisation.

The director of Local Government, Natalino Attard, has told mayors and executive secretaries that local councils should start consulting the Department of Agriculture before taking any steps to prune trees.

"There are cases where trees have been pruned or chopped almost completely in the most irresponsible manner. This is causing irreparable damage to trees," Mr Attard wrote in a memo sent to local councils on March 30.

In February, virtually no leaves were left on the trees lining Hal Warda Street, in Attard, after a contractor commissioned by the local council cut off all their branches.

Though it is nowhere spelt out in the memo, The Times was told the order to local councils came after the "pruning" of the ficus trees in Attard.

Responding to numerous letters in The Times which described the pruning as an act of mutilation and destruction, Michael Mercieca, chairman of the Malta Embellishment and Landscaping Project, said that since there is no regulation that controls pruning of unprotected trees, the unit could not report any infringement of the law.

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority is revising the Trees and Woodlands (Protection) Regulations 2001 of the Environment Protection Act which are to include heftier fines for those who damage trees.

Mepa public relations officer Sylvana Debono said the new Trees and Woodlands Protection Regulations would be aimed at "providing a more streamlined and integrated approach between planning and environment permits, at the same time enabling better enforcement".

"We will be in a better position to give our comments when these are finalised and published," Ms Debono said when asked to elaborate on the details of the new regulations.