Mayors and vice-mayors of Local Councils in Sliema, St Julian’s, St Paul’s Bay, and Zebbug (Gozo) have called on government to increase fines for cranes or other heavy machinery who operate without a permit, and suggested that the current punishment encourages abuse, in comments to The Malta Independent.

There were also calls for the new Parliamentary Secretary for Local Councils Silvio Parnis to meet with the association in order to take action on the many challenges facing local governance.

The local councillors were contacted after a spokesperson from the Ministry for Justice, Culture, and Local Governance informed the newsroom that the fine for depositing a crane or using a crane or other heavy machinery in any street, and closing access to the road without a permit from the Local Council is €46.59 and €104.82 respectively

To put things into perspective, a person would get a €50 fine for throwing a cigarette butt on the ground.

It is therefore of little surprise that illegalities continue to take place when comparing these miniscule fines to the mammoth profits developers are able to earn off our communities and the island.

The ministry informed this newspaper that over a 10 year period (2007-2017) it collected a total of €127,898; while 2016 saw roughly 192 fines (€8,851) issued for those who used machinery without a permit, and 126 fines (€7,442) for those who closed roads.

In the first half on 2017, 71 fines (€5,800) and 54 fines (€5,473) have been issued respectively.

On the issue of government involvement the spokesperson said that “The Government is always analysing matters and is open for discussions with all stakeholders involved in any matter according to the current circumstances.

The newsroom contacted Vice Mayor of Zebbug (Gozo) Daniel Cordina, St Julian’s Mayor Guido Dalli, Sliema Mayor Anthony Chircop, and St Paul’s Bay Mayor Graziella Galea to get their perspective on the issue.

The newsroom attempted to also contact Mario Calleja of Marsascala, and Keith Cassar of Mosta but did not manage to get through.

 

St Julian’s Mayor Guido Dalli

Dalli told the newsroom that the fines needed to substantially increase in order to start preventing abuse.

“If someone needs to keep his or her construction machinery for a project just for a couple more days, and does not have a permit, I don’t think he is going to care is he has pays €46.”

Commenting on the number of permits issued, Dalli said that “In Lapsi Street we currently have three sites that have permits, on Carmel Street there are two sites, with another one on the way. These two roads touch one another, it’s ridiculous. It is not fair on the residents, they are never in peace and it affects their health, when one project starts another one begins.”

“Just look at a couple of days ago. One of these sites left a lot of dirt and dust on the street. I called a cleaner and the local council had to foot the bill, all because we tried contacting the contractor and he never answered. People need to take a bit of responsibility.”

 

Sliema Mayor Anthony Chircop

Chircop also agreed that the fines were too low, and said that “some developers probably think it is more beneficial to risk it and get a fine when they are not given a permit by the council.”

He also informed the newsroom that local wardens are not given the power to seek removal should they stumble upon machinery that does not have a permit, even if it is obstructing a road.

The burden falls upon the police, who would not be able to stop the developers should they have started working on concrete or damageable materials.

He revealed that the council will be meeting with the Parliamentary Secretary to press on this issue, but also to address the general lack of enforcement, not only with construction but even with regards to waste.

“We cannot do anything, it is frustrating when you see someone take their rubbish out at incorrect times and you cannot do anything. You have to wait for the police, who can only charge someone if they are caught in the act. Local councils need to be empowered to handle enforcement of these issues that affect the community.”

Turning to the issue surrounding the large number of permits being issued at present, he called for local councils to take responsibility and create statutes to prevent multiple developments taking place on one road, unless when absolutely necessary, as the Sliema Local Council had done.

“The association of local councils need to adopt a sensible standard police, because unfortunately developers asking for permits can be quite forceful, and often get their way.”

 

Vice Mayor of Zebbug, Gozo, Daniel Cordina

Cordina agreed that the fines were low, but turned his attention to the large amount of permits being issued as the core problem.

“For example, we experience quite a few problems on St Mary’s Street in Marsalforn because of the amount of development taking place. Why are permits being continuously issued when there is already one project that needs to close down the street? Developers need to learn to start waiting for their turn.”

Cordina also called for greater restrictions and control over construction during the summer month, not only for the residents who deserve a break, but also for the significant number of tourists who visit the islands and form the backbone of the economy.

“This can especially affect Gozo. Our communities depend on tourism. St Julian’s, Sliema, St Paul’s Bay have stronger and more diverse economies. There are a large number of restaurants, bars, shops in areas like Marsalforn and Xlendi that rely heavily of these three months of summer.”

 

St Paul’s Bay Mayor Graziella Galea

Galea told the newsroom that the fines are ‘surely too low’ and pale in comparison the profits developers are able to acquire.

She also said that her local council attempted to control the number of developments taking place by limiting the distance between one project and another, which she said needs to be done to prevent ‘absolute chaos’.

The Mayor then highlighted another issue surrounding permit applications, specifically the number of applications who initially say that they would only need a parking bay and end up taking up space that ruins the traffic flow.