St Julian’s mayor Albert Buttigieg today condemned the Planning Authority’s delay in issuing a ‘stop notice’ on the works taking place at the Barracuda restaurant in Balluta Bay, despite the architect requesting a suspension on the application for the project.

The application, filed last year by Carlo Stivala, is for change of use from Class 4A offices to Class 4D, internal alterations and alterations to the façade of the Grade 2 building. Robert Musumeci is the architect.

The Planning Authority later said that it has issued a stop and enforcement notice with a daily penalty. But this came three days late, according to Buttigieg. In a Facebook post, Buttigieg questioned the ‘coincidence’ and timing of the stop notice, having only been issued after much of the demolition and works were already done.

“What needed to be broken, was broken, and that’s when the stop notice was issued,” Buttigieg said.

The illegal works on the building were done over the New Year’s weekend, also continuing the entire day on Sunday. In Malta, it is illegal to carry out construction work on Sundays and public holidays.

Buttigieg said that the local council warned the applicant that a hook loader was being used without a permit, the permit being solely for a skip to be put in a parking bay. The hook loader remained at the site for the whole day, despite LESA, the police and Transport Malta being informed of the situation. He said that had also contacted Planning Authority CEO Martin Saliba as well as the Minister for the Environment, Climate Change & Planning Aaron Farrugia.

On the site of the property, there is a proposed development application (PA3863/21) which is currently suspended at the request of the applicant.

In 1994, the Planning Authority had given this property and several other properties around Balluta special protection status as Grade 2 protected buildings.

The PA said that the Authority’s Compliance and Enforcement Directorate will monitor the site to ensure that no further works are carried out without planning permission. Mayor Buttigieg noted that it seems as if every entity played its part in ensuring that the works continue before the stop notice was issued.