Start of City Gate works delayed

Works on Valletta's new-look entrance, which were supposed to start this month, have been postponed by three months to give shops beneath the City Gate arcades an extended lease.

The shop leases expired at the end of December and the government had no intention of renewing them given Renzo Piano's plans to remove the arcades. However, the Land Parliamentary Secretariat yesterday told The Times that discussions with shop owners were being held on a "one-to-one basis, to keep them informed of all developments".

The spokesman said the secretariat was working in conjunction with the Infrastructure Ministry, which was leading the Renzo Piano City Gate project.

"We have been informed by the Infrastructure Ministry that the start of the project in the area in question has been pushed to March," the spokesman said.

Valletta's new-look entrance will do away with the arcades and the shops on one side of Freedom Square. The outlets operating from the ruins of the old opera house will also have to close down as they do not feature in Mr Piano's plans.

Work on the project was meant to have started this month. Last year the government said it wanted to finish the project by the end of this administration in four years' time.