No construction works will be permitted in designated areas during the summer to avoid inconvenience at the peak of the tourist season, the Transport Ministry has assured.
Anyone breaching these regulations may still be liable to a fine of between €233 and €1,165, despite concerns by some that the government intended to water down a legal notice introduced more than a decade ago.
These restrictions are in line with Legal Notice 295 of 2007 which states that during the period between June 15 and September 30, demolition works or excavation shall not be allowed in tourism zones “as may from time to time be defined by the competent authority for tourism”.
The designated areas chosen by the Malta Tourism Authority are Birżebbuġa, Gżira, Cottonera, Marsascala, Marsaxlokk, Mellieħa, Sliema, Rabat, Mdina, St Julian’s, Swieqi, St Paul’s Bay, Qrendi, Wied iż-Żurrieq, Valletta and Floriana. In Gozo restrictions apply in Marsalforn, Ramla l-Ħamra, San Lawrenz, Victoria, Xagħra, Xlendi, Mġarr and Għajnsielem.
However, there are some notable exceptions, including Castille Square in Valletta, where works on the embellishment project which started last March are set to continue to complete the makeover by October.
Other exceptions include a lengthy list of road works found on the Transport Malta website, which are scheduled to be carried out in the coming weeks. These include some roads located in the designated tourist zones.
When this was pointed out, a ministry spokeswoman said the list included minor interventions which would not require road closure.
Other exceptions include a lengthy list of road works
Meanwhile, access to the Buġibba and Qawra area this summer will once again be a major headache as works on the Coast Road project have fallen behind schedule following archaeological findings at the Salini area.
These continual findings have resulted in a number of redesigns, the ministry said.
Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association president Tony Zahra acknowledged Malta’s high population density posed huge challenges to planners.
Yet, he said that not enough efforts were being made to have proper management on construction sites, even those commissioned by the government.
“A case in point is the Castille Square embellishment project where it seems that not enough attention or funds were allocated to mitigate the impact of these works on the surroundings,” he said.
Mr Zahra said that with a little more investment, construction dust could have been contained much better and the area could have been cordoned off in a more professional way.
The MHRA president called for a long-term planning policy, saying that commissioning works during the busy summer months would remain a perennial problem.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat signalled that the existing policy restricting construction works in tourist zones in the summer could be reviewed during a news conference in which the Corinthia Group unveiled plans for a mega six-star resort in St Julian’s.
Reacting to comments by Corinthia Group chairman Alfred Pisani who expressed hope the government would allow them to keep on working even in summer, Dr Muscat said such a request made sense. “What is clear is that we don’t want to have a mess of trucks carrying building waste through such a popular area,” Dr Muscat stressed, however.
Any reports regarding illegal works in tourist areas may be reported to the planning authority by calling 2292 7608 (during office hours) or 9963 7508 (after office hours).