Excavation works continue despite summer ban and promises of increased enforcement
Excavation and demolition works have continued in Sliema despite a legal notice banning the practice between 15 June and 30 September 2018.
A social media post by Sliema Local Councillor Paul Radmilli shows how two sites in the locality, one on Depiro Street, and the other at the Fortina Hotel site, were undertaking excavation which is disallowed during the summer break.
Certain projects can be granted exemption notices when the sites in question pose a safety risk to the public or surrounding buildings, however, Parliamentary Secretary for Planning Chris Agius confirmed with Radmilli that no site was given such permission.
“The Building Regulations Office (BRO) ignored the Sliema Council, so the Council reported the issue to Parliamentary Secretary Chris Agius who confirmed that no site was given any special permission. What sanctions are to be imposed on such sites breaking the law or was the promise to inspect all sites a PR Gimmick?”
On 6 June, Agius, joined by PA CEO Johan Buttigieg, and Parliamentary Secretary for local government Silvio Parnis, announced that all construction sites around Malta would be inspected by joined enforcement team of the Building Regulation Office (BRO) and the PA over a period in six weeks to clamp down on developers who are not following regulations.
The announcement came after The Malta Independent carried a story where it was revealed how the emergency contact number to report irregularities at the BRO was switched off meaning there was no way to have its enforcement officers visit a site that is falling foul of the law.
Developers who were found not in line with the law would receive a warning, while further joint inspections will be carried out to ensure that warned developers have become compliant. Failing this, it was said construction will be shut down and relative fines imposed.
In an interview in the last edition of The Malta Independent on Sunday, Buttigieg was asked whether enforcement even worked given that fines remained minimal when compared to the massive financial gains made in the construction industry.
“What I can assure is that, from the start of this enforcement drive, we have always had good cooperation from the contractors. Obviously, yes, it wasn’t easy on the first day that we went out. I think you’ve seen the statistics that around half were non-compliant. On the second time around, it was around 20 per cent but as soon as they saw that re-inspections were happening, even on the same day, it stopped. In fact, we’ve had some police on standby since.
“It will be sustained. We want to bring everyone on board. We are stepping in to help BRO and hopefully, BRO will manage on its own eventually, but if PA needs to sustain it, we will do,” Buttigieg said.