ADPD – The Green Party is demanding pavements on the Maltese Islands are given back for public use.

“The interests of residents and visitors to coastal localities such as Marsaskala for rest and relaxation are completely being ignored when the pavements of such localities are increasingly being taken over by catering establishments,” it said.

ADPD – The Green Party Deputy Chairperson Sandra Gauci and Public Relations Officer and Marsascala resident Brian Decelis, said that this practice is causing severe hardship for the communities that live in these localities.

Decelis stated that it has become “common practice that commercial entities make such extensions to their premises even before the relevant permits are requested. In Marsascala this has happened in a number of cases as has already been reported by the media and highlighted by the Marsaskala Residents Network NGO.”

she stated that “in one instance, even when the relative permit had been turned down the relative establishment remained operating as if nothing had happened!”

ADPD stressed that the permanent placing of tables and chairs on pavements makes life difficult to pass through especially for all those who have mobility issues and make use of wheelchairs or in the case of parents with babies in pushchairs.

“Moreover, residents in the vicinity of these establishments have to suffer the ever-increasing problem of loud music especially in summer going on well into the night which many a time goes uncontrolled by the relevant authorities,” the Party said.

It insisted that “residents in coastal localities deserve to enjoy peace in their neighbourhoods just like anywhere else.”

Sandra Gauci said that the “relevant authorities – tourism and planning in particular – are more business friendly than people friendly when it should actually be the other way round.”

“This is the result of government policy that allows commercial interests to reign with impunity,” she added.

“Government and public authorities do not prioritise safe and accessible infrastructure for people. Indeed, planning should be for people foremost before every other consideration,” Gauci said.

She added that, “the policy about the placing of chairs and tables in public places had been drawn up by an inter-ministerial committee that had specifically excluded the participation of our localities’ representatives.”

“Therefore, residents’ interests have been completely ignored. We demand our pavements back today.”

ADPD argued that “any development in public spaces should be sanctioned in agreement with the Local Council which, in turn, should give absolute priority to the residents.”

“Public land should serve the citizens’ needs first before that of commercial interests. We need a people-friendly policy and not purely a business-friendly one.”

ADPD – The Green Party concluded by saying that it will remain at the forefront of safeguarding the urban environment in order to preserve the quality of life of the residents in all our localities.

Photo by Alain Salvary

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