The new €4 million road-widening project in Tal-Balal, inaugurated by Transport Minister Ian Borg more than two months ago, is still awaiting its compliance certificate from the Planning Authority, Times of Malta is informed.
Sources close to the PA said the Tal-Balal project is peppered with illegalities and no architect has yet been found to take responsibility for it.
Asked to state whether the new road, which has cost several millions, has been awarded a compliance certificate, as requested by law, a spokesman for Infrastructure Malta confirmed the certificate had yet to be issued despite the road having been opened for traffic.
“Infrastructure Malta is currently assessing the quality of the works carried out by its contractors through various on-site inspections and off-site laboratory tests,” the spokesman said.
“During this process, the agency’s architects ensure that the project was implemented according to specified plans as well as established safety standards,” he said.
The architect who signs the compliance certificate will take personal responsibility for the completion of the project
The spokesman, however, admitted when pressed that the compliance certificate was still to see the light of day.
“The agency cannot request a compliance certificate from the Planning Authority until this verification and quality assurance process is completed,” he said.
According to law, the architect who signs the compliance certificate takes personal responsibility for the completion of the project.
Only a few weeks ago, Transport Malta indicated that the Tal-Balal project, which was started by Infrastructure Malta without having applied for a planning permit, is full of illegalities including wrong signage, distorted cycle lanes, incomplete pedestrian paths and several other irregular features.
Illegal rubble walls
Times of Malta had also reported that more than two kilometres of what had been described in the permit as rubble walls were also illegal as they are in fact fake walls cladded with rubble material on one side and left unfinished at the back.
Apart from not being in conformity with the law, which specifies that rubble walls are protected and have to be built according to specific rules, the high walls can also be considered an eyesore.
Alfred Baldacchino, a former assistant director of the Planning Authority’s environment directorate, slammed the building of such walls.
He said that this was another confirmation, if any were needed, that the government and its agencies “did not give a hoot” about observing the laws and taking care of the environment.
Meanwhile, the Planning Authority has not yet explained why it has not issued an enforcement order over the illegal building of the Tal-Balal fake rubble walls.
So far, the PA has refused to reply to questions on whether the walls are in conformity with the ‘Rubble Walls and Rural Structures’ legal notice that was issued in 2004.
According to the law, it is the Planning Authority which is responsible for the implementation and enforcement of this piece of legislation.
The ERA, the government agency for the protection of the environment, has refused to give its position, stating the matter is within the PA’s competence.
Both the PA and Infrastructure Malta fall within the political responsibility of the same ministry headed by Ian Borg.