Cranes, heavy duty vehicles and construction machinery blocking roads and working during the night without the presence of wardens has become a common sight in Valletta. MEPA permits construction works to continue through the night in Valletta in order to avoid blocking streets and inconveniencing shops during the day. However Valletta Local Council stated that when issuing permits for the positioning of heavy construction vehicles at night, the Local Council does not enquire what the cranes, and construction vehicles are required for, or whether the works being carried out are covered by a valid MEPA permit. Such local permits give the semblance of legality where there is none.
Abusive works stopped by independent watchdog on Zachary Street, Valletta.
This has led to abusive works being carried out during the night in order to bypass MEPA and any potential objectors. In one case where the police had to be called in last week, a whole palazzo was set to be abusively demolished overnight. Residents could not contact the MEPA Enforcement service as the MEPA enforcement hotline number no longer functions. When contacting the abuse hotline of the Ministry of Resources and Rural Affairs, complainants were told that this service does not function after hours… when the service is needed most.
In a city as small as Valletta it is incomprehensible how these abusive worksites were not detected by the various authorities present in our capital, and instead had to be flagged up by citizen watchdogs. One dreads to think how much more abuse has gone undetected.
Moreover barriers and personnel were not in place on the various sites to ensure the safety of passers-by as well as the safety of the inhabited neighbouring properties and of the workers themselves. Workers are particularly at risk when forced to work in poor lighting conditions at such unearthly hours. Two weeks ago a person working on a lift in Valletta was seriously injured. The time of the accident was around 4 am.
Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar therefore asks the Valletta Local Council, MEPA and the Ministry of Resources Building Regulations Department to stamp out the increasing frequency of abusive night-time works in Valletta by checking for MEPA permits before issuing night-work licences. Routine checking of building sites is essential to ensure that they comply with building regulations, especially at night.
Creating regulations and services to stamp out abuse, then routinely and blatantly ignoring them, amounts to sham enforcement on the part of the Authorities. This suits abusive developers but places residents’ and workers’ lives in peril, and facilitates the ongoing destruction of our nation’s architectural heritage.
