The NGO Moviment Graffitti has cried foul after part of a public garden started to be taken apart for the widening of a road in Zebbug on Wednesday.

In a post on social media, the NGO said that Infrastructure Malta is currently breaking apart a public garden in Triq il-Fraxxnu in Zebbug so that the road can be widened.

Attached to the post is a picture of a bulldozer at the road with the boundary wall of the public garden dismantled along the road.

In reply, Infrastructure Malta said the widening of this street is taking place on government-owned land which is not leased to its current users (as a private garden) since it has been earmarked for the full construction of the street in the past. Infrastructure Malta said it obtained the required road works permits for the ongoing works from the Transport Authority.

In its statement, the NGO said that Infrastructure Malta head Frederick Azzopardi was present on site along with officials from the police’s Rapid Intervention Unit while residents and local councillors alike gathered to protest this “senseless” dismantling.

Graffitti said that Frederick Azzopardi is using the police to protect him when in actual fact it is the citizen which needs protecting from him.

No planning applications for the road works appear on the Planning Authority’s geographical server, however current legislation means that works on existing roads do not require a permit from the authority. It is unclear what the nature of the road works being carried out is, or why parts of the garden were being dismantled.

In a later post, Moviment Graffitti shared another image, this time of the bulldozers having ceased their work owing to a man who has sat on the wall being dismantled.  They identify that man as independent Zebbug local councillor Steve Zammit Lupi, and appealed for people to join him in Zebbug against what they called a development without any permission.

Moviment Graffitti have been vociferous against the work carried out by Infrastructure Malta, with the NGO hosting protests about planned projects in Burmarrad, Mriehel, and Dingli.

In reply, Infrastructure Malta said works closely with local councils to support them in the development and maintenance of public infrastructure, including local roads.

This week, the agency is starting works in Il-Fraxxnu Street, a 70-metre street alongside a housing estate in Zebbug. Residents in this area had been calling on the authorities to improve access in this street since before 2014, which had never been completely formed to its actual width. In fact, part of this street narrows significantly, causing difficulties to residents who own garages opening in the same street. When Infrastructure Malta was established in 2018, the Zebbug Local Council asked for assistance to carry out the necessary works to make this street more accessible to its residents.

The works include a slight widening of between 1 metre to 1.6 metres along a 40-metre stretch of the road, increasing the road space by approximately 50 square metres. Originally, residents and the local council had requested the street to be widened further, but Infrastructure Malta said it will be using half of the land allocated for this purpose only, to render it more accessible to residents whilst minimising the impact on the adjacent area, which some residents are using as a private garden. The existing boundary wall will be rebuilt in a recessed position. The rest of the area can continue to be used as a garden, and Infrastructure Malta will rebuild any existing structures on this government-owned land that may be affected by the works, before resurfacing the street. It will also be upgrading the existing footpaths along the other side of the street.   

The widening of this street is taking place on government-owned land which is not leased to its current users (as a private garden) since it has been earmarked for the full construction of the street in the past. Infrastructure Malta said it obtained the required road works permits for the ongoing works from the Transport Authority.

Infrastructure Malta said it is also informed that the existing high boundary wall and a small tool shed built on this public site, which were dismantled on Wednesday morning as part of the ongoing works, were built illegally. After an enforcement notice was issued, a Planning Authority application for this boundary wall submitted by the person encroaching on this public land was refused in 1996. An appeal against this refusal was rejected as well, IM said.

As already stated, Infrastructure Malta will rebuild the boundary wall at a lower height, as permissible by law, to ensure that the adjacent area can be enjoyed as a public space rather than an enclosed private garden. The illegal tool shed will not be rebuilt.