Imagine, if you can, that you have just purchased a lovely villa in a lovely, quiet area of Madliena or San Pawl tat-Tarġa, and in front of this villa is a beautiful open public square, very well cared for and landscaped. This would surely be your lucky day.
Then along comes summer, and one evening you see groups of people gathering carrying musical instruments, microphones and even more ominously, two huge loudspeakers.
A few moments later they have connected their apparatus to the public electricity, and wham, all hell breaks loose. As a noise is blasted out that can be heard from as far away as the next town, imagine what is happening in your lovely private home. This noise goes on for many hours and stops at about 11pm.
After that shattering experience, you retreat to the blissful peace and quiet of your home. Tomorrow you will go to the council and to the police. They will sort out the problem.
When you speak to these two organisations you find that the party was organised by one of the local parishes and that during the summer there will be 16 such weekends of incessant noise, as permission has been given to two parishes and their band clubs. As the square is public, anyone can apply for a gathering and party to their hearts content outside your front door.
Apart from that, there will be marches and firework displays, with the loudest petards possible to go with the festa celebrations.
Now, stop using your imagination, and let us get back to reality. This scenario is exactly what is happening every summer in the public promenade and gardens of Tower Road, Sliema, all the way from the church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel to the tower near Exiles.
The council and police say they can do nothing about it because the promenade and gardens are public, and the owners of property on the front, and right up to Dingli Street and beyond, will unfortunately have to suffer the consequences. In fact, more people are asking and applying for more evenings of celebration and disturbance.
Now I have never been one to want to spoil anyone’s enjoyment, nor do I want to, but as a resident of the area, I would appreciate some peace and quiet during the summer months. I know that the land is public and I know that the council and police have to do their job, but the situation cannot carry on as it is at present.
The council and police say that they can do nothing about it because the promenade and gardens are public
There are various solutions I would like to propose:
The number of celebrations must be limited to a reasonable number, and definitely not more than those at present given permission. Sixteen celebration days have to be placed on the discussion table. Any more than this would be simply ridiculous and a tremendous disservice to residents.
The music must stop at 11pm, and the volume must be controlled (there are meters that can do this). The speakers must be turned away from the properties bordering the promenade, and never be placed on the promenade itself.
There should be a public notice placed along the promenade explaining that no function that creates a disturbance would be accepted without permission of the police or the council. (The council have already agreed to this).
There should be also be a notice prominently placed near the function, giving all the conditions imposed by the authorities, and if these are breached, then the celebration must stop. (Agreed by both police and council).
I have heard people who went to the celebration last week, stating that they were leaving because they couldn’t stand the noise. That’s how loud it was. Unfortunately the properties over the road cannot do the same.
A Tower Road Residents’ Association has been formed to try and limit the disturbance. This association is working hand in hand with the police and council, trying to see how the residents can be safeguarded.
The police, even though the will is there, are unfortunately overstretched, especially at night, and the council members live in much quieter places, but the discussions are ongoing.
Frank Salt is a real estate agency owner.