Nobody has so far assumed responsibility for the "aggressive pruning" of  a row of trees in one of Mosta's main roads. 

Residents took to social media to vent their frustration at the fate of a row of trees on Vjal L-Indipendenza, which appear to have been pruned down to below the canopy.

Other trees on the road can be seen thick with green foliage, while four appear to have been chopped down below the level of the canopy.

However, despite being located on a busy road in the locality, nobody has taken responsibility for the action.

Mosta mayor Joseph Gatt said the council had learned of the pruning in mid-October and had complained to the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) and community police who he said were investigating the incident.

“I’m not happy; I like nature,” he said, adding he was “trying to change the attitude to the environment” in the locality and had plans to add 10 trees to the area.

Stressing that the council was not informed in advance of the pruning, Gatt said that as an arterial road, Vjal L-Indipendenza was not within the remit of the local council but could instead fall under the responsibility of Infrastructure Malta (IM) or Transport Malta (TM).

But both entities deny being involved in the pruning; IM said it was not responsible, while a spokesperson for TM said that the authority, “as the regulator for transport does not carry out such pruning.”

Other trees on the road can be seen thick with foliage. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier.

Times of Malta is informed that while the pruning of trees facing residential properties may be carried out by private third parties in certain circumstances, such action requires authorisation from ERA.

But when contacted, a spokesperson for ERA said the authority “did not give any permit to anyone to carry such pruning. No request was made to ERA in this regard.”

While stressing that trees younger than 50 years of age – such as those concerned – and outside of ODZ, UCA or urban public open spaces “do not fall within the protection stipulated by the Trees and Woodlands Protection Regulations”, the spokesperson said ERA disagreed with the way the trees were pruned.

“Despite the fact that no permit was required and as such not granted in this instance, ERA believes that the pruning carried out in this case was aggressive," she said.

“ERA emphasises that all pruning practices should adhere to standards that reflect respect for the urban and natural environment and should be carried out with greater care and consideration."

This is not the first time Mosta trees have hit the headlines for the wrong reasons.

In November, activists protested the removal of ficus trees close to the Mosta Rotunda during embellishment works, describing the trees – which have been used as a roosting site for birds for decades – as being “butchered”.

The action prompted a U-turn by the locality’s former mayor Christopher Grech, who two days later announced the trees would remain in place and not be transplanted to the Santa Margarita area as originally planned.

But this was not the end of the saga; in March, concerns were raised by ERA and the Mosta council after it was suspected the trees might have been poisoned, following the discovery of holes drilled into the trees filled with an unidentified liquid.

In August, ERA said lab tests on the liquid had confirmed it was harmful, but that the trees were showing signs of new growth and “potential recovery” after being treated by the authority.