Blata l-Bajda car park to make way for trees

A parking area near Gattard House in Blata l-Bajda will shortly be replanted with trees under the government's plans to conserve the area around Portes des Bombes.

Though the area has been used as a parking area for years, it had been earmarked as a conservation area under a law enacted by the British colonial government in 1933 to safeguard one of the few remaining green areas in the harbour area.

The decision to do away with the parking area was taken last summer when the government announced details of the Park and Ride system.

Since then, however, the plan has been opposed by Michael Attard Ltd, whose lawyers filed a judicial protest against the Prime Minister, the Roads Minister, the Environment Minister, the Resources and Infrastructure Minister, the Malta Transport Authority chairman and the Valletta mayor.

The firm is claiming that the elimination of the parking area which is used by their employees and clients would badly affect the company's business.

The elimination of car parking spaces, the company argued, would mean that people who worked at or visited any outlet in National Road would have to cross the busy street and risk their life on the road which had nine carriageways at some points.

The company argued it would be difficult for its employees and clients to used the Park and Ride scheme on the other side of the road because there was no underpass or overpass, insisting the parking area should not be eliminated.

In a counter protest, the authorities argued that the parking area was merely a concession because the land had been earmarked as a conservation area over 70 years ago, insisting the users had no right over the area.

On the company's claim that National Road was too dangerous to cross, the authorities said there was already a pedestrian underpass.

Asked when the parking space will be taken over, a spokesman for the Environment Ministry said the area would shortly be restored and replanted.

"The fact that the Park and Ride is up and running means that the need to widen the pinetum - the only lung in the busy area - is more important than retaining the parking spaces," he said.

In 2004, an area close to Pietà creek in Sa Maison used as a parking area was closed to cars when the same law was enforced.