The Building Regulation Office receives a staggering nine complaints a day about construction sites, but the numbers seem to have levelled off after years of increases.

Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg said the biggest complaints were mostly about dust, lack of protective netting, excessive noise and work outside permitted hours.

He said that the BRO took action “according to the merit of each case” but he did not give any other details about what action was taken or the outcome.

Replying to a parliamentary question by MP Karol Aquilina, he said that while in 2013 there were three complaints a day on average, these rose steadily to nine a day in 2017 – but that this level seemed to have stayed the same in 2018.

Mayors' appeal

The mayors of St Julian's, Sliema and Swieqi have appealed to building contractors to respect regulations and not to inconvenience people living near construction sites.

In a statement issued via the Nationalist Party, the mayors said local councils, despite issuing permits, had no means to enforce the law. They would, however, be doing their best to ensure that the police and other relevant authorities did. 

The mayors also condemned an incident involving a contractor and Gzira councillor Jeremy Cardona. They said councillors worked voluntarily in the interests of their localities and deserved to be respected by the people and protected by the authorities.

The Local Councils Association also condemned the incident in a separate statement. 

Gzira local council on Tuesday evening will hold a protest in Stuart Street, Gzira, over the incident involving Mr Cardona.