The planning authority permitted construction works in Valletta to continue through the night to avoid blocking streets and inconveniencing shops during the day.

This was leading to abusive works being carried out without any objection, Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar said.

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It said in a statement that when the Valletta council issued permits for the positioning of heavy construction vehicles at night, it did not enquire what the cranes and construction vehicles were required for, or whether the works being carried out were covered by a valid MEPA permit. 

FAA said that last week the police had to be called as a whole palazzo was set to be abusively demolished overnight.

It pointed out that residents could not contact the Mepa enforcement service as the hotline number no longer functioned, while that of the Resources Ministry did not function after hours.

The organisation called on the council, Mepa and the Resources Ministry to stamp out the increasing frequency of abusive night work in Valletta by checking for Mepa permits before issuing night-work licences.

Routine checking of building sites was also essential to ensure that these works complied with building regulations.

“Creating regulations and services to stamp out abuse, then routinely and blatantly ignoring them, amounts to sham enforcement on the part of the authorities.

“This suits abusive developers but places residents’ and workers’ lives in peril, and facilitates the ongoing destruction of our nation’s architectural heritage,” FAA said.