New campaign will rid countryside of major eyesores

The government, in association with local councils and MEPA, is to launch a campaign to finally rid the streets and the countryside of derelict cars, buses and other eyesores.

The campaign is being coordinated by the Secretariat for Public Dialogue.

Parliamentary Secretary Chris Said said his secretariat had grouped the joint committees of the local councils, the ADT, MEPA and the Cleansing Department for the campaign.

The local councils had been asked to identify and photograph the objects which they would like to see removed and the process will now be taken in hand by the central government.

Dr Said said the photographs submitted by the councils showed a large number of abandoned buses, cars, trailers, cement mixers, boats and other large metal objects littering the countryside and some streets. Some had been there for as long as 40 years and were a veritable museum, he said.

The problem appeared to be especially acute in the areas around Marsaxlokk and Zurrieq.

Dr Said said that eyesores dumped on private fields would also be removed.

The owners would first receive a notice giving them 16 days to remove the eyesore and directing them how they can do so, failing which the Cleansing Department will move in. Owners will then be given a further three days within which to reclaim their property – and pay the removal costs, failing which the items will be scrapped.

Dr Said said the councils had to date been unable to handle this exercise on their own, not just for reasons of costs, but because they could not dispose of the large items once they were removed.

The operation will start in the coming weeks, taking in a number of localities at the same time.

As part of the exercise, MEPA will also clamp down on illegal scrapyards and other abuse.