The Floriana Local Council said it was not consulted on plans to pedestrianise St Anne Street and went on to express its strong disapproval on Facebook on Wednesday. On Thursday, the Labour Floriana Councillors issued a statement in response through the Labour Party saying they were not consulted before the statement was issued and deemed it as an "abuse of power" on the mayor's part.

In response to the news of the pilot project to make Triq Sant' Anna pedestrian on chosen days in 2025, as announced by the Ministry for Environment, the Floriana Local Council expressed its strong disapproval. It reminded that a few weeks ago it had made a request to meet with Dalli which is yet to be held due to Dalli's apparent time constraints.

The Floriana Local Council also reminded that the only meeting that was held between the concerned minister and the council on the project of Triq Sant' Anna was on the Council's request and since then nothing had been heard of it, except for seeing news of the project on the media. It said that once again it appeals for respect in the way that things are announced and implemented, especially by the government.

The council went on to appeal for a discussion with the people of Floriana when it comes to decisions such as these and "above all" for the local council to be "deemed the highest local entity in Floriana. It further pointed out that every decision that is taken for Floriana will affect the locality.

The council reiterated its insistence for an immediate meeting with the Ministry concerned with the project which potentially may have great repercussions that will affect both Floriana residents as well as the commercial community in Triq Sant'Anna.

In response to the Floriana Local Council statement, the Labour Floriana Councillors noted how the mayor published a statement on the Floriana's Local Council's social media in the name of all the other local councillors without consulting all the other councillors. It said that this is because the statement was issued moments after the mayor sent an email to the councillors to see if they agree with the statement and before the expiry date for the councillors to send their responses.

For the Labour Floriana Councillors this is an abuse of power by the mayor which in such circumstances should have either waited for his own deadline, which was the following day, or, should he have wished to issue a statement so quickly, write which councillors agree with its contents. They said that they believe "Such affairs of a similar nature, in which the council takes an official decision, should warrant a meeting for the purpose. Reason and discussion win over the haste and populism with which the current independent mayor is leading Floriana."

Labour Floriana Councillors said they welcome every project that can improve the quality of life of the people of Floriana after a serious public consultation in which what is to be done is explained. They added that they also believe that Floriana needs to take important decisions to improve the urban environment and be more attractive to the people of Floriana who decided to move away over time.

On his part, independent Floriana Mayor Nigel Holland responded to the Labour Councillors in saying that "it is a lie to say that no consultation was done with all the councillors" so much so, that in the same statement issued by the Labour councillors themselves it was confirmed that the mayor had sent them an email to see if they disagree with the proposed statement. He said that the Floriana Local Council's statement was issued moments later simply because the majority of councillors immediately confirmed that they agreed with the issuing of the statement.

Holland said that in this case it is not the real independent mayor of Floriana that is abusing power but the Labour councillors who are abusing of their position of power and "the supremacy they feel" due to their political parties.

He said that if the Labour councillors wanted to be honest, they should admit that they know full well the practice in the Floriana Local Council is that if a proposal receives the approval of the majority of the councillors, it is implemented immediately with the deadline of response being rendered superfluous.Holland said that whoever issued the statement in the name of the Labour councillors should also know well that, "if they want to be honest and carry out professional work", that regarding matters of news, when statements are issued days after an event in question, more often that not lose the potency of the message. He said that the so-called haste and populism with which the Labour Party alleged the mayor is leading Floriana  perhaps may "badly affect certain councillors since it contrasts with their somnolence and their distance from the people which the people of Floriana have experienced in recent years." 

Holland concluded that as mayor it is his pleasure to recognize that the Labour councillors welcome new projects for the improvement of the quality of life of the people of Floriana with "serious public consultation" since "they know full well that the project in question saw no consultation neither with the local council nor the people of Floriana. 

Floriana deputy mayor and PN councillor James Aaron Ellul expressed his concern regarding the Labour Party's treatment of Floriana and said that it is unacceptable that it issues a statement attacking the mayor because he commented, with the agreement of the majority, on a Floriana project which was discovered through the media. He said that the attitude of the Labour Party towards the highest local entity, which proceeded according to the majority, is further concerning as it is an attack on democracy.

Ellul pointed out the irony that the Labour Party expected a discussion on the statement when the same party in government didn't even bother to discuss the Floriana project with the Local Council or the people of Floriana.

He said that all the authorities need to understand that in Floriana there still is a "live" community and although efforts are being made to regenerate it "in heart and identity" it remains alive and for that reason should know what is going on in its surroundings. Ellul concluded with an appeal to discuss instead of a statement attempting to exclude individuals and said that he expected a response to the Local Council's request for a meeting with Dalli that morning even though it was made weeks ago.