Change of use applications worry Sliema residents

Seven applications by shop owners to turn their outlets on the Tigné peninsula into bars, cafés or restaurants are worrying two Sliema residents associations.

The Sliema Residents' Association and the Qui-Si-Sana and Tigné Residents Association said the North Harbour Local Plan specifically excluded Class 6 premises (cafés, bars and restaurants) from residential areas and incorporated a map precisely defining Sliema's residential areas.

"This type of development is obnoxious as it invariably leads to noise from the establishment itself... unbecoming behaviour and parking violations," the associations said.

Three of the seven applications involved outlets in the new Midi development and fell outside the map delineating residential areas in Sliema. However, the associations added, these would still attract additional traffic and "other objectionable activities" to surrounding streets.

The other four applications filed with the Malta Environment and Planning Authority were located within the defined residential area and "common sense dictated these should be refused outright".

The associations referred to the Prime Minister's statement last June that Mepa should not allow exploitation of any loopholes that violated the spirit of planning policies. Granting Class 6 permits in residential areas did precisely that, the two associations argued.

They appealed to the authorities to heed the Prime Minister's statement and apply the law in the way it was intended to without any twists or turns.