An angry Floriana local council yesterday announced that it would request a Lm500/EUR1,164.69 deposit before granting a permit for large-scale activities, to ensure that the organisers of the event adhered to the council’s conditions.

At a news conference held in front of the Granaries, Floriana mayor Nigel Holland expressed disappointment at the noise and mess left after the last two large-scale events: Wine and Jazz Festival and the Isle of MTV party.

“Floriana local council is not against these events taking place. However, we have received a number of complaints from residents – for various reasons,” said Mr Holland.

He explained that the organisers of the wine and jazz festival did not request a permit from the council before organising the event.

“When we actually informed the Police Commissioner about this, in his reply he quoted Legal Notice 1/06 which says that these activities do not require a permit issued by the local council but one issued by the police,” said Mr Holland.

He went on to explain that the Commissioner told him that a permit issued by the police was sufficient for one-off events.

However, Mr Holland pointed out that this was not the case and that a permit issued by the local council was still required.

On the first day of the festival, the local council received several complaints because of the noise pollution, he said.

Furthermore, the mayor said, when he went to visit Boffa hospital, he was swamped with complaints by patients about the noise pollution.

“When we bring up these issues, we are accused of not cooperating in the country’s best interests.

“However, everyone has to be taken into consideration,” he said.

Before the Isle of MTV was held, Floriana local council took a decision not to allow the parking lots next to the granaries.

However, added Mr Holland, a high-ranking official from the Tourism Ministry requested an urgent meeting and told the council that they were “endangering the festival”.

As a result, he said, the local council reviewed the decision and allowed the area to be used for the party.

On the eve of the party, the council requested another urgent meeting with the organisers and representatives of the Tourism Ministry, explained Mr Holland.

“We requested a Lm500/EUR1,164.69 deposit from the organisers to make sure that these did not breach any of the conditions imposed by Floriana local council.

However, a high-ranking official within the ministry informed us that this deposit would not be paid and, as a result, we assumed that this meant that they were not going to adhere to the rules,” he said.

Scaffolding that was meant to be taken down immediately after the party was still being dismantled yesterday while the news conference was taking place and Mr Holland pointed out that there were several vehicles and trucks on the Granaries when this was not allowed.

He added that there was a huge mess after the Isle of MTV party, with litter in almost all the streets of Floriana.

“People – both men and women – were urinating everywhere, in fact the subways stank of urine. Even though the organisers cleaned up the area, not everything was removed,” said Mr Holland.

At present, the local council charges Lm5/EUR11.65 for a permit for these events – something Mr Holland described as a “farce.”

As a result, organisers of large-scale events will be required to hand down a Lm500/ EUR1,164.69 deposit to ensure that they followed the rules, he said.

“However, philanthropic organisations and organisers of smaller events will be charged Lm50/EUR116.67,” he added.

The mayor expressed concern at the upcoming political meetings that would be held on the Granaries.

“We will have to abide by the law – we cannot oblige the political parties to pay a deposit because these events might not need a permit issued by the local council,” he said.

Mr Holland also complained about the police force’s reluctance to enforce regulations.

“During the concert, people were hanging off monuments in the Mall Garden, relieving themselves everywhere and the police who saw these things just kept on walking up and down,” he said.