Another warning over excess street furniture soon
Several establishments in popular tourism areas are to be served with formal notices by the Lands Department asking them to abide by their encroachment permits and remove any excess street furniture, The Times has learnt. The action will follow a swoop...
Several establishments in popular tourism areas are to be served with formal notices by the Lands Department asking them to abide by their encroachment permits and remove any excess street furniture, The Times has learnt.
The action will follow a swoop on Sliema seafront cafés and restaurants last month after residents complained that pavements were being blocked by chairs, tables and other furniture.
The Malta Tourism Authority's (MTA) director of quality assurance, Frank Farrugia, explained that the authority, the department and the police are working together to ensure that pavements in "high density tourism zones" were left clear of any encumbrance.
He said the authorities are currently focusing on restaurants, cafés and other outlets in areas such as Paceville, Buġibba, Qawra, Marsalforn and Xlendi. The authorities are in the process of serving various establishments in these areas with a formal notice asking them to comply with their encroachment permits and remove extra tables, chairs, awnings and so on.
The establishments that hold encroachment permits and have furniture "bursting at the seams" will be given 15 days to abide by their permits. Establishments which have no licence and still put furniture out will be given a maximum of seven days to remove it.
Should they fail to abide by the notice, officers will intervene to remove the furniture and the licences will be revoked, Mr Farrugia warned.
Three weeks ago establishments along the Strand and Tigné seafront in Sliema were served with a formal notice and given 15 days to comply. Following the elapse of time representatives from MTA, Lands Department, police and the Works Division intervened to remove extra furniture. Officials had visited about 20 bars and cafés along the Sliema seafront and found some form of irregularity in 10 of them.
Since then, Mr Farrugia said, the situation in Sliema has remained under control thanks to the help of the police and the cooperation of the establishment owners themselves.