Updated - Adds Transport Malta reaction - Transport Malta was slapped with an enforcement notice after workers illegally uprooted a number of trees at Spencer Garden in Marsa.
The uprooting, part of the reconstruction of the arterial December 13 Road, started on Thursday morning when workers used heavy machinery to cut down the trees in the area overlooking Hexagon House at Il-Menqa.
The uprooting was condemned by the Marsa local council, which said the trees were removed without any respect for the area, a green lung for the locality.
A planning authority spokesman said enforcement officers were sent on site and checked the trees that had been destroyed against approved plans.
The trees had been marked individually either to be destroyed or transplanted. Three trees earmarked for transplanting had been cut down with a chainsaw, the spokesman said. Faced with such “irregularities”, the enforcement officers ordered the works to stop, the spokesman added.
The permit to rebuild December 13 Road, which involves closing a number of lanes for about 25 weeks, included “specific conditions” to uproot only certain trees, especially because not all survive transplanting. The others – about 80 – would be transplanted.
The planning authority had imposed a planning gain contribution of €35,000 on Transport Malta to upgrade playing fields in Marsa and replace the estimated 80 trees that would have to be transplanted.
The project, which is expected to take just under a year, involves narrowing the existing wide centre strip between the two carriageways in December 13 Road. The road will be realigned to make space for an underpass, which will branch off from the left lane leading to Valletta, just before the footbridge. Cars would pass through the short tunnel to exit next to Spencer Gardens and Hexagon House in the Menqa area in Marsa.
TRANSPORT MALTA REACTION
In a statement today (Saturday) Transport Malta said it regretted the' reported events' related to the 13 December Road Underpass, wherein the contractor was 'allege'd to have carried out works divergent to both MEPA and Transport Malta instructions leading to the damage to two trees earmarked for transplanting.
Attempts are still under way to try to save one of these trees.
"Transport Malta is still conducting its own investigations as to the circumstances which led to this negative outcome. Should the contractor be confirmed to be at fault, Transport Malta will proceed against the contractor within the contractual undertakings or any other legislative or regulatory framework," the Authority said.
It said it will continue to do everything in its power to ensure that all contractors engaged on all projects under its remit adhere to the conditions imposed and that defaulting contractors are duly penalized.
It also apologised for this negative outcome and pointed out that the 13th December Road Underpass project includes an extensive planting scheme along this very important road.