Danger posed by dislodged block at Pietà Verandah

Urgent action is needed to remove the danger posed by a masonry block that was dislodged from the old Customs Verandah in Pietà and now rests suspended in mid-air on some scaffolding.

The block is at one of the corners of the verandah, right above a spot used to tie boats next to the slipway where boat owners put their craft to sea or pull them up, particularly in summer.

It is probable that boat owners do not notice the danger above their heads as their concern is to cope with the inconvenience caused by the scaffolding which blocks part of the slipway.

The scaffolding was mounted some weeks ago for restoration works to take place on the verandah, which is to be eventually turned into an up-market restaurant after it was handed over to a company by the Pietà local council after a call for tenders. The contract, which includes restoration of the dilapidated boathouse, was won by Pietà Marina Catering Ltd. So far work has consisted of the removal of the old corrugated roof. The beautiful structure, for a long time used as a boathouse, has been neglected for years and needs extensive work. Part of the roof had collapsed and the masonry on the sides is crumbling.

The building was devolved to the Pietà council in November 2005. In the initial phase after the setting up of local councils, it was at the centre of a controversy between the Pietà and Floriana councils, with both claiming jurisdiction. When eventually the verandah fell under the Pietà council, it was incorporated in plans by the council to develop Sa Maison into a public recreational area.

Meanwhile, boat owners, who were ordered out of the verandah in preparation for the restoration works, are still waiting for a facility promised to them when the verandah project was announced and they lost their storage space.

Alternative space was promised to boat owners not far from the slipway, precisely at the car park across the street, but so far nothing else has been mentioned, one boat owner said.