Updated Sunday 12.30pm with Floriana mayor's reply.

Floriana’s local council approved a memorandum of understanding in connection with the protection of the Granaries without taking a vote, its minority leader said on Friday.

James Aaron Ellul said councillors learnt this week that the memorandum of understanding had been signed and approved behind their backs.

The MOU has been years in the making and concerns arrangements to ensure that the Granaries, a historic open area that is often used to host large-scale events, is adequately looked after and preserved.

Ellul had first presented a plan to protect the area eight years ago and talks within the council dragged on for years.

He said mayor Vincent Borg presented councillors with a draft MOU during a council meeting three weeks ago. But PN council members, led by Ellul, were unhappy with that document.

A major concern of theirs is that it only covers the use of the Granaries for ‘public events’, which are narrowly defined. That means, they say, events like the yearly Carnival procession, which goes through the area, are not bound by the safeguards as they are not events specifically held on the Granaries, even though they have an impact on them nonetheless.

Ellul said councillors were asked to present feedback following that meeting, and duly did so. Then this week they learned the MOU had been signed.

Ellul said the government rushed the signing ahead of next week's election.

"This is yet another example of local councils being treated as a rubber stamp for the government,” he said.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Nationalist Party added the signing was in breach of local councils legislation.

Minister Owen Bonnici during the signing. Photo: DOI

"The signing amounts to nothing because the PN councillors asked for amendments and clarifications which weren't heeded, to the detriment of the protection of the Granaries and the locality," it said.

"For the government, local councils are but a rubber stamp, bypassing every discussion on what the residents and the councillors want."

Questions were sent to Floriana Labour mayor Vincent Borg.

Times of Malta tried to access minutes for local council meetings held lately, but the council website does not provide any minutes for meetings held in the last four and a half years. The most recent available minutes are for a meeting held in December 2019.

Signing announced Thursday

Local Councils and National Heritage Minister Owen Bonnici announced the signing on Thursday between the Restoration and Preservation Department and the local council and said a mechanism is now in place to ensure the site can continue to be enjoyed by the masses but also protected.

The upkeep of the Knights-era granaries has been a bone of contention for years.

Not only was the historic site being damaged during mass events held there, but for years it seemed no government entity was ready to take responsibility for its upkeep.

The square is composed of multiple bell-shaped silos that were historically used to store grain. They are pits dug into the ground and covered by circular stone slabs. 

‘Il-Fosos’, or The Granaries, is officially named Pjazza San Publiju. It is one of the largest urban open spaces in Malta and is, therefore, used for mass gatherings.

The square regularly hosts massive events such as concerts, political mass meetings and the annual Isle of MTV, and residents have long been complaining that lack of protection is eroding the national heritage site.

In a reply to questions on Sunday, Floriana mayor Vincent Borg said all councillors were handed a draft copy of the MoU and had the opportunity to submit their comments, He did not say why the council did not take a vote on the final version.

"Councilor James Aaron Ellul and all the councillors had a draft copy sent by the executive secretary on the 14th May. On the 16th May there was a council meeting in which all the councillors were asked again to send their comments about the draft agreement,” he said.

"Myself and the executive secretary asked that the agreement be signed by both the Mayor and the Executive Secretary as on the draft document only the Executive Secretary was going to sign. Therefore the final document was signed by both the Mayor and the Executive Secretary,” the mayor said.