Dislodged block at Pietà old Customs verandah removed

The dislodged block which lay suspended on scaffolding at the old Customs verandah in Pieta on Thursday was removed yesterday, a day after a story highlighting the danger appeared in The Times.

The block posed a danger to boatmen who use a slipway almost underneath it.

During a site meeting it was decided that the block - a corner corbel made of concrete - would be removed, together with the other three corner corbels that still formed part of the building.

Architect Kurt Camilleri Burlo on behalf of the Pieta Marina Catering Ltd, architect Nyle Xuereb from Agius Stoneworks, together with an official from the Malta Environment and Planning Authority were involved in the decision to remove the corbels.

These concrete elements were not part of the original architectural fabric of the structure, said John Debono on behalf of the Pietà Marina Catering Ltd - the company that won the contract for the restoration of the dilapidated boathouse to turn it into a restaurant.

The corrugated roof of the verandah was taken away as part of the rehabilitation project. Asked why the corbels were not removed earlier once they were not part of the original architectural fabric, Mr Debono said the work is done in various phases and the phase of the removal of the corbels had not been reached.

The dislodged concrete block lay suspended for just over 24 hours, Mr Debono said.