The Sliema council is taking action to ensure tower cranes are erected within building site areas instead of blocking entire streets or taking up parking spaces for months.

Although this decision came with an “as much as possible” proviso, the council said it would ensure all construction regulations are adhered to.

“One of the main issues causing inconvenience to residents in recent years is the practice of placing tower cranes in the streets with the result they are either closed off to traffic, or taking up parking bays.” The fee established by law to erect such tower cranes is only €2.33 per day. However, the council has full discretion to issue or renounce crane permits in Sliema streets, it said.

Permits for tower cranes not placed within the construction site will expire at the end of the year.

In May, the council met the developers where cranes were located and discussed their work programmes. As a result, in recent weeks expired permits for tower cranes were not granted extensions.

Over the past few weeks, tower cranes were removed from Old College Street, Crèche Street, Sir Arturo Mercieca Street and Don Rua Street.