Caged in by building works

I refer to Amy Busuttil's recent letter complaining about the hardship she is going through as they build over her maisonette.

We are experienceing the same problem in our own home in Ta' l-Ibraġ, thanks to Mepa and whoever issues permits to build additional floors over existing maisonettes without considering the impact on people's health.

Last year Mepa issued a permit for a first-floor maisonette to be turned into an additional two floors with us living on the ground floor.

The case was first refused permission for development because the area wasn't big enough, that is it did not comply with regulations introduced by Minister George Pullicino to protect new buyers; the developers were building "tiny" rooms. A few weeks later, this application was granted permission after the application was changed to comply with policy. So my friend upstairs must have played the part of Samson and moved the four walls outwards into thin air.

I wrote to Mr Pullicino twice under registered mail but I only got an acknowledgment. As a last resort I wrote to Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi before the election. No answer and no pity was shown to our plight. I wrote again after the election in answer to the PN's questionnaire about why thousands of voters did not vote. This time we did get an acknowledgment but nothing else. It's too early for another election so most probably our letter will be put on the shelf till then.

I invite anybody, especially from the Enforcement Office who have not yet turned up after I called them, to come and have a look at what is going on with our property. We are caged in with scaffolding, God knows for how long.

We live behind closed doors and windows and still are invaded by dust and stones. Our street is full of unfinished buildings and garages.

It is getting ridiculous. We, the people of Malta, human beings, want something to be done fast about what is going on in the building industry.

Doing this and that for the environment should come second - first let's consider people's health and peace.