Residents of four streets bordering a large building site in Siggiewi protested this morning that the development was producing an unacceptable level of dust.

Deputy Mayor Karol Aquilina, who led a protest at the site, said the developer had been granted a permit to build 120 apartments and 200 garages.

He had also been authorised to excavate the site down to three storeys, cutting blocks from the rock like in a quarry.

Dr Aquilina said it was good that the site was being excavated in a way which enabled reuse of the stone, but it was important that rules were observed and no inconvenience was caused to the residents.

He said that the works initially caused no problems, when large blocks were cut on site, but smaller slabs were now being cut and dust clouds were being created, coating cars, forcing residents to close windows and preventing them from hanging washing on the roof.

He said the council had already complained officially to Mepa and was calling on the developer to take the necessary dust abatement measures.