Architects are happy to accept their responsibilities under the law as it stands, but they cannot be expected to monitor what contractors are doing on a 24/7 basis, the president of the Kamra tal-Periti Simone Vella Lenicker said.

“As the law stands today, that is the role of the site manager: to make sure that the architect’s instructions are carried out on an hour-by-hour basis,” she explained to the Times of Malta.

“The contractor is engaged by the developer, and it is up to the developer to look after his interests and find someone to monitor the site.”

Hundreds to attend meeting

Hundreds of architects and civil engineers have signed up to attend an  extraordinary general meeting being held on Friday by the Kamra tal-Periti, forcing them to move the venue to the Catholic Institute.

The EGM will be discussing various points, which were highlighted in the KTP’s press release earlier this week in the wake of proposed new regulations. However, the role of the site manager is clearly central to the objections.

“A surgeon gets on with his job and does not check on the anaesthetists. They can rely on them to do their job because they can rely on the system.

Unfortunately, when it comes to site managers, there is no system and they are not registered and do not need to be trained or qualified,” she explained.

One problem with the current system was that in the absence of a designated site manager, the developer took on the role.

“How can we be sure that a developer knows what needs to be done? While there are some experienced ones, there are also ones that are developing their own block,” she fretted. "You could go out and buy some machinery and become a 'developer'."

The KTP sent a review of the proposed legal notice to all its members, and will discuss its position on Friday.

“Our plan of action will depend on the outcome of the EGM. All our options are open,” she stressed.