Euro 2012 big screen transfer

The mega screen set up in Spinola Bay to show the Euro 2012 matches was yesterday moved to the Tigullio area after event organisers reached a compromise with the Lands Department that threatened to evict them.

The compromise was reached at the eleventh hour and announced at the start of a court case in which the organisers, Massive Promotions, were contesting the eviction. Following the brief statement, the case was withdrawn.

“We decided to relocate out of goodwill. We insist that we followed the rules and were guided to set up at Spinola Bay,” said company director Edward Mifsud.

Restaurant owners, who had complained that the screen was scaring away diners, were glad that “good sense prevailed” even though they said they had suffered losses in the meantime.

The owner of three seafront restaurants, Peter Darmanin, said: “Restaurateurs and fishermen will be able to conduct their business without hindrance… Residents will be able to carry on with the peaceful life that they were accustomed to before the mega screen was set up.

“Spinola Bay is a unique location in the heart of St Julians and is known to attract upmarket tourism due to its natural beauty and tranquillity. Rowdy activities have no place in this area because they do not complement the ambience of this bay,” he added, thanking the authorities who, he noted, had intervened to preserve the character of the bay.

Massive Promotions had decided to install the big screen at Fishermen’s Wharf for the duration of the Euro 2012 games, which started last week. Restaurant owners in the area signed a petition complaining that the screen was attracting “football maniacs”.

They argued that the activity was blocking access to their establishments and the noise was pushing their “first-class” customers away.

Massive Promotions argued they had a permit from the local council. St Julians mayor Peter Bonello defended the initiative, saying shifting the activity to the promenade from the Tigullio area, where similar events were often held, saved 120 parking spaces.

On Wednesday, the Lands Department issued an eviction order as the screen did not have a permit from the department.

The company filed an applic-ation asking the court to stop the eviction and Mr Justice Joseph Zammit McKeon temporarily upheld the request on Thursday.

The case was meant to be heard yesterday when both parties were to make their legal arguments and the judge would make a final decision.

When the case was called the court was informed that the company and the Lands Department had agreed to move the screen to the Tigullio area.

Patrons could watch the 8.45 p.m. game between Sweden and England at the new location but the firm did not manage to make the move in time for the start of the 6 p.m. Ukraine-France game, despite storms delaying the match.

Mr Mifsud said that the company had organised the event at Tigullio for the past 20 years and always worked professionally and “by the book”. This year, it was advised by the government not to apply to set up the screen near Tigullio because the Spinola Square project might have started.

They started filing permit applications in December and obtained the go-ahead of both the local council and the police. Mr Mifsud said they had written to the Lands Department asking whether a permit was needed to set up a temporary screen.

He said the department had replied in an e-mail that a local council permit was enough.

He insisted that restaurants had always remained accessible and denied firing flares and having disco music played after the end of the games.

The St Julians local council said that, while it insisted that Spinola Bay was a better-suited location for the games to be screened, it was glad that a compromise had been reached.