MHRA wants umbrellas to be allowed in Merchants Street

The restaurants association has welcomed a planning authority decision to allow restaurants on Merchants Street, Valletta to place tables and chairs outside but they would like umbrellas to be allowed too.

The initiative to allow tables and chairs was “positive” because it will help to inject more life into Valletta, according to the Malta Hoteliers and Restaurants Association. All initiatives should always respect value and protect the history and heritage of the surroundings, it added.

The association’s restaurant committee has been in discussions with the government to establish a clear set of guidelines for a level playing for all operators and allow adequate passageway for pedestrians.

Encroachment areas must be well defined to be enforced easily and there must be uniformity and consistency in the design and quality of street furniture for safety and aesthetic considerations, particularly given the sensitivity of historical areas being considered, the association said.

The restaurant committee said it understood the concerns of the planning authority’s board members about allowing umbrellas in Merchants Street. The quality and level of umbrellas had to blend well with the environment. However, Malta’s climate should also be taken into account. In addition, other major cities known for their cultural and historical heritage, such as Vienna, Madrid, Lisbon and Paris, had umbrellas.

The committee called on the planning authority board to reconsider the issue, which otherwise would be a “half-baked project”. “What is the owner of a catering outlet supposed to say to a visitor asking for an umbrella for protection from the sun in summer? That the planning authority is against the use of umbrellas?”