Trees in a car park which is to make way for a petrol station were uprooted this morning in spite of claims made by the Planning Authoritymat the end of June that they were going to be replanted at Wied Ghomor.

Heavy machinery turned up on site today to uproot all the trees except for a palm tree.

The Planning Authority had told The Malta Independent that the trees were to be removed from the site near the busy intersection just before Birkirkara Hill at the bottom of Triq Birkirkara in St Julian’s to a designated area in Wied Ghomor where they were to be replanted.

The scenes unfolding throughout the day, however, show the trees being unceremoniously tossed to the side by workers’ machinery, leaving no hope for replanting whatsoever.

Workers on site told this newsroom that the trees were full of wood lice thus leading to the need to dispose of them entirely.

Questions sent by The Malta Independent to the PA have yet to be answered.

The questions were to confirm the alleged infestation and the destruction, as well as whether or not it is the PA’s protocol not to test trees for parasites and disease before considering replanting.

The final question sent was also about whether any action will be taken by the PA if it turns out that the uprooting of these trees as is being currently done is against the set plans.