Paid parking signs removed from Marsascala parking area
The signs were removed by the council at the request of the owner
The Marsascala local council has removed controversial signs requesting payment from motorists parking at a popular swimming bay.
In a statement Tuesday, the council said it had removed the signs from the site of the former Marsascala swimming pool in St Thomas Bay after receiving a copy of the contract of ownership for the land and a letter requesting the signs be removed.
The owner of the site confirmed he had sent the letter to the council, which said it unanimously agreed that the land “should continue to be used as a public car park, free of charge”, adding it was urging authorities to find a solution with the landowner so that parking should remain free.
The controversy over the parking area erupted last week, when a woman complained on the popular Facebook group ‘Are You Being Served’ that the car park, which had remained free for decades, suddenly started charging five euros to motorists.
The area was recently paved over by Infrastructure Malta, which is carrying out works along the Marsascala coastline.
Owner Joseph Attard said he will temporarily stop charging beachgoers to park at the site as an act of good faith until he reaches an agreement for compensation with the government or the local council.
“I want to cooperate with the government to find a solution… For now, I will allow people to park for free. But I have to stress that I will not be held responsible for any incidents on my land,” he said.
“I am doing this in good faith until I find a long-term solution with the government to get compensated for the use of my land.”
Attard emphasised that he had recently acquired the lease for the land and was therefore making use of his private property.
He showed Times of Malta a redacted version of the contract transferring the lease, which covers more than 10,000 square metres of land. The document shows that 150 years remain on the lease. The agreement was signed in May.
Asked about the Infrastructure Malta works, Attard said he had “no idea” they were going on. “I was on a cruise. I came back after 15 days and found my land paved. In fact, I had filed a police report.”
Asked why he bought the land and what his plans were, Attard said the site included a few rooms and that he wanted to enjoy the space with his family. However, when he realised he could generate some income for his family by using it as a car park, he decided to do so.
He said he believed the initial €5 fee was fair and stressed that it included VAT.
The recent developments followed a temporary agreement between Attard and the council allowing for free parking at the site last weekend.
Yesterday, it emerged that Attard is set to take the government before the Land Arbitration Board, in a bid to force it to either buy the disputed land or hand it back.