Social media has recently been on fire with residents airing their frustration at construction works taking place on Sundays and public holidays, in breach of the law.

While the country comes to grips with ongoing dust, noise and general discomfort due to the onslaught of development taking place all over the island, residents have called for better enforcement against works carried out on Sundays and Public Holidays.

In Malta, it is illegal to carry out construction work on those days. There are some exceptions, such as the dismantling of cranes on roads affecting public transport. If the crane that needs to be dismantled lies on a street which would affect public transport, then permits are granted by Transport Malta for this to be carried out on a Sunday or public holiday as public transport is reduced during these times.

One resident who spoke with this newsroom remarked that he understands developers’ needs  to get us much as they can completed in the shortest amount of time, noting that all homeowners have caused some form of disturbance to their neighbours when constructing their homes,  however having one day of rest per week, on a Sunday, is only fair.

Maltese residents from across the island are all experiencing the disturbances caused by construction works, be it because of development next to their home, place of work, or other places they frequent.

Speaking with the Gzira and Sliema local councils, where many of these complaints are being made due to the high level of activity, both mayors confirmed that as a rule of thumb, many turn to their local councils for something to be done.

Gzira Mayor Conrad Borg Manche said that the complaints are ongoing, and that he wholeheartedly disagrees with noisy works being done on private properties on Sundays and public holidays, more so when the works involve the use of chasers or jiggers which cause among the highest disturbances.

He said that as a local council, he tries to urge people to be reasonable, to consider that they are living in a community and that it is only fair for people to get one day of the week where they can enjoy peace and quiet.

Sliema Mayor Anthony Chircop also said that the council receives ongoing complaints, however he urged people to make their complaints to the police so they make take action and more specifically, the Building Regulation Office which also has skeleton staff on Sundays and Public Holidays in order to tackle these kinds of illegalities.