A restaurant has occupied at least four parking spaces on a busy Sliema road, irking residents and visitors, but Mepa said it had issued a permit and was not responsible for any breaches there may be.
The restaurant has been given a permit that sanctions an existing canopy and a “proposed extension of pavement” for tables and chairs. Instead, however, the street furniture has been placed in the road itself.
The venue has also placed bins beyond its permitted area of operation as well as putting up ‘no parking’ signs to stop cars parking too close to its dining area.
Asked about these apparent breaches, a spokesman for the planning authority said: “The two bins and ‘no parking’ signs do not constitute development, and they do not fall within Mepa's remit. Such matters are to be referred to the police, wardens or Transport Malta”.
There was no comment on the fact the pavement has not been extended to accommodate the tables.
What if a car skids and veers off the street into the area where people are sitting?
Apart from taking up parking spaces in a popular area across the road from the Neptunes water polo pitch, residents also complained that the placement of tables and chairs on the road was creating an unnecessary risk.
“What if a car skids and veers off the street into the area where people are sitting?” a resident told the Times of Malta.
Three months ago, Planning Parliamentary Secretary Michael Falzon was among several other MPs launching a new policy for public consultation that aims to “facilitate” the placement of tables and chairs in open public spaces.
The scope was to have the planning authority act as a “one-stop shop” where catering establishments can apply for permits, as opposed to the situation where applications need to be submitted to at least four authorities.
Asked by this newspaper whether the revision of the policy also addressed the need to stem abuse in popular areas such as Sliema and St Paul’s Bay, Dr Falzon said the standardisation of rules would in itself facilitate enforcement.
Yet while the issuing of permits will be made easier, the responsibility for enforcement will remain in the hands of the different entities previously involved.
These include Mepa, the police, Transport Malta and the Land Department. The policy itself does not go into enforcement issues.
During the launch, Mepa CEO Johann Buttigieg said the planning authority would be responsible for drawing the attention of relevant authorities to breaches.
The vast number of tables and chairs in public spaces has generated significant complaints over the years because of abuse that resulted in a lack of public access. Pavements are often blocked, leading also to difficulties for people with disabilities.
The new rules are meant to apply to all, including those with permits already issued. The new policy also states that permits will “not be normally allowed” on pedestrian public footpaths that are either adjacent to arterial roads or located in close proximity to fast-moving traffic.