The restaurants on the water’s edge at Valletta Waterfront will be getting what have been called unicolour ‘cicogna-type’ canopies instead of the variety they have now.

This was decided at the Mepa board meeting yesterday. But it was not as plain sailing as that. For one thing, the restaurants must now remove their tables and chairs near the walls of the Pinto Stores.

The application was a consequence of a recent permit that allowed the Laguna to be turned into a min-yacht marina. On that occasion, on the insistence of the Mepa board and especially the chairman, the Waterfront was asked to address the illegalities connected with the outside eating facilities, and to sanction the service provider booths, the MTA booth and to get some harmony into the multi-coloured awnings on site.

After many consultations and negotiations, agreement was reached between the outlet owners, Valletta Waterfront and the Mepa directorate on a particular type of awning, described as ‘cicogna’ which was described as without a point, and rather low (2.5 metres high), with a wide space underneath it.

CHAC, which had originally opposed the application, came round once it saw the new design which will make them less obtrusive when seen from the other side and from cruise passenger ships.

An issue left outstanding is the colour of the canopies which will be a reserved matter.

But no sooner than it seemed the issue was settled than the issue of the tables and chairs near the walls of the outlets, plus menu boards and kitchen appliances was raised.

The issue regarding tables and chairs next to the wall was not raised in the four years of negotiations it took to get to yesterday’s board meeting. On this, the Directorate officials were very clear and also very angry the issue was raised up at the last minute.

The board members were in two minds – some argued that as long as a 4m passage way is left for pedestrians to pass, it did not matter much, while others, the chairman included, insisted that a separate and full application must be submitted for these tables and chairs. Others argued for the tables and chairs next to the wall to remain but without canopies or umbrellas.

Perit David Drago for the applicant said that the DNO application for the tables and chairs under the canopies can only be submitted once this application was approved. It was then agreed that the application, if approved, will not be released until the DNO applications are in. It would seem that the reason why this and the application regarding the tables and chairs next to the wall was not submitted was because of the heavy sums of money that would have been asked for a full application.

At the end, the board, led by the chairman, agreed to approve the application to sanction but this will be executable only after the DNO applications are submitted. The tables and chairs next to the walls are to go (Right in time for Christmas, murmured one of the applicants behind me) and a separate full application must be submitted for them.