Monday, 30th June 2008

Action against eyesores in Mdina and Rabat

Waylon Johnston

The snack bar painted bright pink which Mepa has targeted with an enforcement notice.

A snack bar painted bright pink, construction waste spilling into a football pitch and a dilapidated tennis court are some of the landmarks that Mdina and Rabat could well do without.

Bacchus Restaurant and Saqqajja Snack Bar were served with enforcement notices by the Malta Environment Planning Authority (Mepa) because they were found to be in breach of regulations.

In the case of Bacchus Restaurant, which is carrying out construction work, a chute that was attached to the side of the bastions had no skip beneath it to take the construction waste.

The construction waste was ending up in the football pitch which is highly visible from Howard Gardens, a popular spot with tourists and locals alike. The waste was left there for two days until an Mepa enforcement officer went to investigate. The waste has since been removed.

About 200 metres down the road, the Saqqajja Snack Bar also had an enforcement notice slapped against it because of the façade that has recently been painted bright pink. The garish colour jars with the rest of the surrounding buildings especially the elegant Casino Notabile.

Rabat and Mdina are considered an urban conservation area by Mepa and the property which the snack bar forms part of is a Schedule Two building which means there are regulations about the colour one can apply when a building is painted.

A third problem that has been annoying Mdina residents is the tennis court which lies below the pathway leading to the Silent City. After extensive restoration works were carried out on the façade to the city's entrance, the tennis court was left in a state of decay with paint peeling off the walls and an overgrown garden.

A resident told The Times that it did not make sense for the entrance to be restored and then the tennis court forgotten.

When contacted, Mdina mayor Peter Sant Manduca played down the complaint saying that all the court needs is a lick of paint and that, if more people were to use the court, something more permanent might be done to correct the situation, adding that the tennis net has just been replaced.

Comments

Iosif Galea (on 2/7/08)

@Karl Serracino

agree with you.....even aluminium balconies and aluminium doors should not be allowed to be fixed in village cores.....electrical and telephone wiring should also be taken care of because they are a real eyesore...

Joe Galea (on 2/7/08)

I agree that MEPA should intervene when eyesores like this are made. But MEPA should have the same measures for everyone. What about JPO's nightclub on a NATURA 2000 Mistra picturesque land? Why MEPA issued the permit? Why Mepa issues permits like pastizzi to build and build and neverending buildings even outside ODZ?
Regarding that bar, you should go there, You'll have a laugh guaranteed!!
The van is going uphill which is the wrong way. Where are the weirdens...sorry wardens?

mike quinn (on 1/7/08)

C'mon get real Mr Mayor...the net has recently been replaced!!!!! What is that grotty ugly tennis court doing in a place like that???? It is probably a left over from times gone by and should be removed. Even a decently constructed Tea / Coffee room would be better, what about continuing the Orange grove?? I'm a Brit but surely as a Maltese Mayor in such a historic location you cannot think that the tennis court is OK????

Emma Gatt (on 1/7/08)

I agree that more action needs to be taken against eyesores... other offenders are the fake models of knights in armour which are stuck to some facades in Mdina... unless these have already been removed..

Lee Bugeja (on 1/7/08)

sleepy mepa officials starting to stretch out of bed? about time...first of all how 'elegant' is the casino near the saqajja hill? of course beautifully carved but what about its ever worsening state of deterioration? the precious limestone dusting away without any slight effort to conserve its state.. oh yes! there is some serious business to preserve this jewel ..four struts haphazardly placed to emphasise how serious the attempts to care for this building. and what about the tennis court? a lick of paint dear mr.manduca? sure! first of all its building is 'slightly' out of place placed under the historic bastions of mdina and even worse unused and totally abandoned...shouldnt there be a bountiful of trees maybe to help reduce all dear carbon spewn into the air by the countless coaches and taxis bustling around mdina and rabat? (whilst adding to whats left of medina) shame shame and more shame on the authorities who do not give mdina and rabat its well deserved care and appreciation.

Karl Serracino (on 1/7/08)

Such enforcements must be applied all over Malta and not only in Rabat. The Maltese stone should be protected. Air Conditioners on facades must be removed as well...that is becoming a real eyesore.

K. Camilleri (on 1/7/08)

We used to play Fball on a daily basis in the pitch just under the bastions. However some year ago a the local labour party club decided to have a tournament in there and they closed it down to the public. That's a waste of space. If it will remain closed, better plant trees yes... but why not give the football ptich back to the people who used to go and play there?

Paul Mizzi (on 1/7/08)

Same as A.Camilleri, the first thing i noted in this photo is that the van is coming up wrong-way! Well done to the photographer for the perfect timing and rare shot!

@JBorg... Indeed, with the local fines being closer to a tickle, that bucket of paint will surely be worth more than a few billboards and bus shelter advertising that are invading our environs!

As with the tennis court and football pitch i would investigate the needs of both heritage and mdina/rabat residents. I wouldn't mind a properly run tennis club which might also attract tourists residing in Mdina.

Ian Bugeja (on 30/6/08)

That pink bar in the picture is a real eyesore. I could not believe my eyes as I say them painting the facade on the 18th of June. If the authorities have already taken that's a good sign. A lot of renovation has been done in the Saqqajja area by both local councils, although yes more needs to be done, like the casino notabile, most of the old buildings in the area.

J. Borg (on 30/6/08)

Excellent advertising scoop…I had never noticed the bar before...
The cost of a few litres of paint were well invested – Malta Tourism Authority should recruit the person in question to invigorate their ineffective albeit expensive marketing!

RODERICK (on 30/6/08)

hehehehe im a barbie girl !!!!!!!!!!!!!! that woman in that bar is awesome !!!!

M.Debono (on 30/6/08)

Dear LC,
remove the Tennis Court and plant more trees so that the ditch around Mdina is restored to its original use. I guess, even the football ground does not make sense where it is. Rabat/Mdina can share sports facilities, very easily. A parking lot would be better off or
if we want to be more tourist friendly ... a Visitors' Centre .. where tourists are given a virtual tour of the original Mdina throughout the centuries. Good luck!

Jonathan Scicluna (on 30/6/08)

Apart from rightfully pointing out such eyesores, the authorities should also take action in preserving structures such as the mentioned Casino Notabile, which lies in a pitiful state with imminent chances of collapsing

Matthew Borg (on 30/6/08)

An eyesore it may well be, but if Saqqajja Snack Bar is 'illegally painted' and has had an enforcement notice slapped against it, I'm wondering why MEPA hasn't done the same thing to a house situated in Tumas Fenech Street, Birkirkara. It's walls are practically the same horrible colour and easily distract drivers passing through that street!

Joseph Calleja (on 30/6/08)

It's a business and the color doesn't bother me that much but what about blocking the sidewalk with tables and chairs, is that legal? But then half of the coffee shops and restaurants in Malta do the same thing. Priorities I guess.

Joe Borg (on 30/6/08)

It is a disgrace that the owners are not immediately fined for a "hamallata" like this one in the picture. With things like this no one can take us seriously. I must say " pajjiz tal-miki maws"
But then again my german girlfriend finds it cool.

Alfred Grech (on 30/6/08)

And while on the topic of Rabat/Mdina, how about the horrible state of the parking lot near Domus Romana? It is rough, ugly and a shameful site to be seen by the many tourists who visit the area.

If you can't afford to asphalt it, can't the government at least level the bumpy ground?

A. Camilleri (on 30/6/08)

IThe photo taken shows the van is coming from the opposite direction, may I point out that the road is one way, therefore the van is coming from the wrong direction:)

Matthew Tabone (on 30/6/08)

Suggestion: If this pitch is not used by people, then what is its scope?...............remove it and plant more trees so as to have a continuum with the nearby orange groove!!

M Grech (on 30/6/08)

Only in Malta! How sad!

Joseph Aquilina (on 30/6/08)

Why is there a tennis court in the first place?? For me, something like a tennis court does not match with the beautiful fortifications of Imdina!! It should be removed and replaced with something more matching with the surroundings!!

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Article © Allied Newspapers Ltd., printed on Sunday, September 7, 2008. This article is for personal use only, and should not be distributed.

Action against eyesores in Mdina and Rabat

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