Billboards set up along Valletta’s St James’ ditch are tantamount to “national heritage pollution”, the Valletta 18 foundation said today.

V18 chairman Jason Micallef this morning urged both political parties to remove billboards which hide the recently restored St James fortifications at the foot of Ġlormu Cassar Avenue.

“This poor mentality, from both parties, has led to a national landmark, being turned into a hub of political billboards. It just isn’t acceptable,” Mr Micallef said.

The two billboards, one with the PN’s slogan Barra (Out) in connection with the Panama Papers and a Labour billboard branding the economy's success, have been slapped with enforcement notices by the planning authority but are yet to be removed.

Mr Micallef questioned whether foreign authorities would allow the setting up of billboards outside of Rome’s Colosseum or London’s House of Parliament.

Asked if Valletta should be designated a billboard free zone, Mr Micallef said he would take this on board as a suggestion to make to the authorities.

To make matters worse, the two billboards had also been set up beside Chris Briffa’s 'four gates' monument – an installation which, when viewed from a certain angle, brings together elements of Valletta’s different gates.

Mr Micallef said the billboards blocked the vantage point and the foundation had received complaints from visitors who could not enjoy the monument.

He called on the Planning Authority to step in if the parties did not act immediately.

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