A large platform in the road outside a St Julian’s restaurant was installed without permission, the Planning Authority has said, as restaurateurs in the area complain about the obstruction it is causing.
Set up outside Brasserie Rodin in Spinola Road, the platform extends beyond the restaurant to the adjacent property, covering two frontages. It takes up parking spaces and causes traffic congestion, according to a complainant.
However, nothing can be done about the infringement yet, the Planning Authority said.
The contravener has submitted a development application for the sanctioning of the platform for the outside catering area and this is still being vetted.
The authority said it was “obliged to await the outcome of this application before determining whether further enforcement action needs to be taken”.
The PA’s Compliance & Enforcement Directorate had received a complaint about the structure, it confirmed. When investigating, it found that “the development was carried out without permission”.
St Julian’s restaurateur Peter Darmanin is up in arms about the platform that extends to the front of the brasserie owner’s neighbouring house, claiming it is disrupting deliveries.
“Up to eight delivery trucks stop there in the mornings but they are finding nowhere to park because of the protruding platform,” he said.
“This is taking up valuable parking space and causing havoc with delivery vans, which now park in the middle of the road and jam traffic in an already congested, narrow, main street, heading out of Portomaso and Hilton Hotel.
This is taking up valuable parking space and causing havoc with delivery vans, which now park in the middle of the road and jam traffic in an already congested, narrow, main street
“The platform should not be there, irrespective of permits,” Darmanin insisted, questioning the criteria based on which the road could be “halved”.
He maintained other restaurants in the busy area, which are serviced by the delivery trucks bringing them goods, were also concerned that these were not able to stop there.
The police have also been notified but the platform remained in place. It also required approvals from other government entities and action could be taken separately, the Planning Authority said.
The Lands Authority did not yet reply to questions from Times of Malta on whether the platform had a permit while it was not the remit of the locality’s local council to issue this.
Prime Minister Robert Abela has been informed about this “atrocity” through a letter that indicated the platform extended into the middle of the road, the complainant said.
“To add insult to injury, a canopy that covers the Spinola Palace door opposite is now being installed,” he maintained.