Pavement construction in Marsalforn

On July 6, a new pavement started being constructed at St Paul's Square, Marsalforn, exactly in front of St Paul's church. All the residents of the area, coach and heavy vehicle drivers were very puzzled because this pavement is too wide for its area.

Due to its size, it is creating great inconvenience. None of us residents knew anything about this project and therefore we couldn't put forward any complaints since neither a notification of development application, nor an actual MEPA permit were even put on display to the public in the area.

Some of us residents immediately contacted the Zebbug council. We were told that the council wasn't even informed of the project, and they fully agreed with us residents that the pavement must be removed.

The main reason for our complaints is that the pavement is too wide for convenience and safety, while using up much-needed space of two parking bays, one of them being for the disabled.

This part of the road is a main artery from Xaghra, so it is used many times daily by private coaches full of tourists coming from Xaghra to Marsalforn. Long vehicles have a wider turning circle, which requires them to go right over a certain point on the pavement being constructed.

Still, the space is not enough for a clean turn, and they have to reverse to make the full turn. This situation doesn't leave any space for vehicles of any size, which might happen to be going up to Xaghra at that moment.

Without this new pavement, vehicles used to be able to edge closer to the church stairs to make way. The same difficulty is being encountered by trucks, rubbish disposal vehicles and even if both lanes happen to be used at the same moment by two cars.

The picture attached shows the reality of the situation. A parking bay for the disabled at the bottom of the church steps was completely removed. The upper corner of the pavement is blocking the entrance of a garage in daily use. Ghar Qawqla Street is very busy because it leads you to Ghar Qawqla Bay and it's the back entrance to a known hotel in Marsalforn.

The entrance to this street got narrowed so the vehicles are forced to drive practically touching the pavements of either side. Finally, and certainly not of a lesser importance is the increased risk of houses being flooded by rainwater coming down from Xaghra, fields and other streets. With heavy rainfall water, which comes down the road with greater force, covering all its width including the pavements, will in such a case act as a breaker and push the water into the houses across the road, while leading such a raging river of rainwater right into the buildings along the pavement as rainwater will be led to a higher level than usual.

As residents of this area, together with coach and heavy vehicle drivers we made a petition so that this pavement could be removed. The petition was sent to parliament, the Ministry of Gozo, MEPA, Disables Committee, Zebbug Local Council and the ADT.

We got contacted only by MEPA and they told us that the fact will be discussed and reconsidered in their next meeting. They said that we are invited to go to this meeting, but they didn't tell us when!

We really hope that this matter is taken seriously by the authorities and immediate action will be taken.