Reclaiming our pavements

The interests of residents and visitors to coastal localities such as Marsaskala for rest and relaxation are completely being ignored when the pavements of such localities are increasingly being taken over by catering establishments. At a press conference on the Marsaskala promenade, ADPD – The Green Party Deputy Chairperson Sandra Gauci and Public Relations Officer and Marsaskala resident Brian Decelis said that this practice is causing severe hardship for the communities that live in these localities.

Brian Decelis stated that it has become common practice that commercial entities make such extensions to their premises even before the relevant permits are requested. In Marsaskala this has happened in a number of cases as has already been reported by the media and highlighted by the Marsaskala Residents Network NGO. In one instance, even when the relative permit had been turned down the relative establishment remained operating as if nothing had happened!

The permanent placing of tables and chairs on pavements makes life difficult to pass through especially for all those who have mobility issues and make use of wheelchairs or in the case of parents with babies in pushchairs. Moreover, residents in the vicinity of these establishments have to suffer the ever-increasing problem of loud music especially in summer going on well into the night which many a time goes uncontrolled by the relevant authorities.

Residents in coastal localities deserve to enjoy peace in their neighbourhoods just like anywhere else!

Sandra Gauci said that the relevant authorities – tourism and planning in particular – are more business friendly than people friendly when it should actually be the other way round. This is the result of government policy that allows commercial interests to reign with impunity.

Government and public authorities do not prioritise safe and accessible infrastructure for people. Indeed, planning should be for people foremost before every other consideration.

The policy about the placing of chairs and tables in public places had been drawn up by an inter-ministerial committee that had specifically excluded the participation of our localities’ representatives. Therefore, residents’ interests have been completely ignored. We demand our pavements back today!

Moreover, any development in public spaces should be sanctioned in agreement with the Local Council which, in turn, should give absolute priority to the residents.

Public land should serve the citizens’ needs first before that of commercial interests. We need a people-friendly policy and not purely a business-friendly one. ADPD – The Green Party will remain at the forefront of safeguarding the urban environment in order to preserve the quality of life of the residents in all our localities.

This is a practical way of applying on a local level the lofty ideals of World Environment Day held annually on 5 June, concluded Gauci.

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Il-bankini qegħdin hemm għan-nies u mhux għal imwejjed u s-siġġijiet

L-interessi tar-residenti u kull min iżur lokalitajiet bħal Marsaskala għal ftit tal-mistrieħ qegħdin jiġu injorati kompletament meta kull ma jmur il-bankini qegħdin jittieħdu minn stabbilimenti tal-ikel u xorb. Dan qiegħed jikkawża diversi problemi għal-komunitajiet li jgħixu f’dawn il-lokalitaijiet. Dan intqal minn Sandra Gauci, Deputat Chairperson tal-ADPD – The Green Party u Brian Decelis, Uffiċjal għar-Relazzjonijiet Pubbliċi u resident ta’ Marsaskala meta indirizzaw konferenza tal-aħbarijiet fuq il-promenade tal-istess lokalità.

Brian Decelis qal li issa saret moda li stabbiliment l-ewwel jagħmel fattieh u wara jitlob għal permess mill-awtoritajiet rilevanti. F’Marsaskala kellna diversi eżempji f’dawn l-aħħar xhur fejn dan seħħ kif anke ġie irrappurtat mill-media. F’każ minnhom anke meta il-permess ma ngħatax l-istabbiliment konċernat baqa’ għaddej bl-attività tiegħu qisu xejn mhu xejn.

L-ingumbrament tal-bankini bl-imwejjed u s-siġġijiet lejl u nhar jagħmilha diffiċli li tgħaddi minn hemm speċjalment għal dawk li għandhom xi problema ta’ mobbiltà u jridu jgħaddu b’wheelchair jew inkella fil-każ ta’ġenituri bi trabi f’pushchairs. Ir-residenti li joqgħodu viċin dawn l-istabbilimenti għandhom ukoll problema dejjem tikber ta’ storbju esaġerat li speċjalment fis-sajf jibqa’ għaddej sa tard bil-lejl li ħafna drabi ma jsir xejn biex dan jitwaqqaf mill-awtoritajiet konċernati. Ir-residenti ta’ lokalitajiet speċjalment madwar il-kosta li qegħdin isofru minn dan kollu żgur jixirqilhom li jgawdu l-paċi fi djarhom.  

Sandra Gauci qalet li l-awtoritajiet differenti – ibda minn dik tat-turiżmu u kompli f’dik tal-ippjanar – jidher li jagħtu iktar każ lin-nies tal-flus qabel ir-residenti, meta suppost huwa propju bil-maqlub. Dan hu riżultat ta’ politika tal-Gvern fejn in-negozju jirrenja b’impunità.
Infrastruttura sigura u aċċessibli għan-nies hi kontinwament mogħtija l-ġemb kemm mill-Gvern kif ukoll mill-awtoritajiet pubbliċi. L-ippjanar għall-użu tal-art għandu jkun l-ewwel u qabel kollox għan-nies.

Il-politika tal-ippjanar dwar it-tqegħid ta’ imwejjed u siġġijiet fi spazji pubbliċi kienet imfassla minn kumitat inter-ministerjali li speċifikament kien eskluda l-parteċipazzjoni ta’ rappreżentanti tal-lokalitajiet tagħna. Għalhekk l-interessi tar-residenti kienu kompletament injorati. Irridu l-bankina lura.

Kull żvilupp konness mal-ispazji pubbliċi fil-lokalitajiet tagħna għandu jsir biss kemm-il darba jkun hemm il-kunsens tal-Kunsilli Lokali tagħna li min-naħa tagħhom għandhom jagħtu priojrità assoluta lejn il-ħtiġijiet tar-residenti.

L-art pubblika għandha isservi l-ħtiġijiet tan-nies qabel dawk tan-negozji. Politika people-friendly, mhux business-friendly. ADPD – The Green Party se tibqa’ tinsisti li il-ħarsien tal-ambjent urban hu essenzjali biex niddefendu il-kwalità tal-ħajja tar-residenti fil-lokalitajiet kollha tagħna.

Dan huwa mod prattiku kif l-ideat nobbli tal-Jum Dinji tal-Ambjent li jiġi imfakkar kull sena fil-5 ta’ Ġunju jiġu applikati ukoll fuq livell lokali, ikkonkludiet Gauci.

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