Qala ficus trees spared the axe

The planning authority has given Qala council permission to uproot four palms but ordered it not to touch 27 ficus trees in the square where extensive embellishment is taking place.

A spokesman for the Malta Environment and Planning Authority said the council had submitted an application to uproot the Washingtonia palm trees as part of the project.

“The authority did not find any objection to the council’s request for the uprooting of these four Washingtonia palm trees because they are not listed as protected trees and are not an intrinsic part of the character of the Qala square as are the other 27 or so ficus trees.

“In fact, the authority made it clear that its ‘no objection’ is for the uprooting of the four Washingtonia palm trees only,” the spokesman told Times of Malta.

Residents had been concerned about the council’s plans to uproot all the trees in St Joseph Square but Qala mayor Clint Camilleri said yesterday that, although the idea was floated, the council never wanted to remove all the trees.

He said the palm trees jarred with the surroundings and were covering statues on the church facade.

Mr Camilleri noted that the palm trees could not be uprooted and replanted elsewhere, as the council had planned to do, because the authorities preferred their destruction in view of the palm weevil problem.