Noise pollution from Med. Conference Centre

In the PN's general council, the Prime Minister emphasised that the environment was a priority for his party and noted that certain matters that bothered the people, such as cranes blocking roads for a long period of time, construction dust and noise, had to be dealt with.

Valletta residents living in the Old Wells area and lower St Ursula, whose residences are back to back with the Mediterranean Conference Centre, have been protesting about noise pollution from the centre for the past eight years.

High volume disco music and air conditioners were on, sometimes until 2 a.m., and this was putting many elderly under pressure.

A lot of promises were made and in spite of a number of actions by residents, nothing has been done. The air conditioning sound has actually doubled. Did permits for such works to be carried out exist? Who issued them? Why were residents never consulted? Why did the council permit such works?

The police are sometimes called but when this is done, the operators at the centre lower the sound while the police are still there and put it back up again soon after they leave. Why did the police never take action against those responsible? Did these people have a monopoly to break the law and do as they wish?

To add insult to injury, generators were sometimes also used, bothering residents not just with noise but also with exhaust. If the generator wire was lengthened and this was parked on the bastions area no one would be bothered.

During an activity on the Middle Ages towards the end of May, doors which are supposed to be kept closed after 11 p.m. were constantly opened for the people to go out to smoke.

Such activities were also resulting in the creation of a lot of waste, including take away remains, cigarette butts and plastic glasses all around the area. Some rubbish was also thrown in the rainwater culvert, posing a flooding problem.

Once, at 12.30 a.m., a truck came to take back a truckful of animal fodder which had been brought in the morning and the culvert ended up full of grass.

The water resulting from the ice used to cool plastic bottles was also thrown into this culvert, becoming stagnant by morning and bringing about mosquitos and mice.

We appeal to the Prime Minister to see who is the minister responsible for such matters and take steps immediately.

Like any other European, we should have the right to enjoy the silence of the night as well as our health.

As residents, we do not have anything against such activities as long as they are carried out according to law. If the MCC wants to continue playing music well into the night, it should be sound proofed.