Establishments along the Strand and Tigné seafront in Sliema were yesterday all served with a formal notice by the Lands Department giving them 15 days to remove any excess street furniture from public areas and abide by their encroachment permits, The Times has learnt.

If the notice is not adhered to, the department will revoke the permits.

The establishments which have to comply with this notice include restaurants, cafés, souvenir shops and other outlets that put out tables, chairs, canopies and merchandise stands on pavements.

The Malta Tourism Authority's (MTA) director of quality assurance, Frank Farrugia said when contacted that the authority had received various complaints from Sliema residents and passers-by regarding the obstruction of passageways by tables and chairs.

The Times has carried several letters of protest by readers about this matter.

The move comes after representatives from the MTA, the Lands Department, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority and the Sliema local council had met on April 28 and again on May 19 to set down the best way forward.

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