Residents on The Strand, in Sliema are at their wits’ end as they face the growing chaos on the once-tranquil seafront beneath their apartments due to the mushrooming of a “lawless” entertainment hub over the last couple of years.

Expressing frustration at the deterioration of their quality of life, a group has gathered to raise their voice above the din they have to bear from boat parties across the street and bars right below.

Refusing to succumb to the noise pollution and mayhem, they have described to Times of Malta the nightmares of feeling trapped in their apartments, as “cubicles” on the pavements and streets outside restaurants block access to their homes.

Meanwhile, the blaring sounds of the “nightclub scene” and strong food smells mean they cannot enjoy the terraces they invested in and must lock themselves indoors.

Anna Maria Baldacchino maintained the rental of the areas outside these restaurants was dirt cheap and the indoors remained empty.

She said loudspeakers played music all day long, sending vibrations through their homes, and the Sliema residents were contemplating the same action as in Valletta, where revellers had a bucket of water thrown on them.

Baldacchino pointed out that the ‘outdoor’ extensions to the restaurants and bars have caused the pavement to shrink, creating a narrow tunnel.

This was further crowded with drinking patrons, meaning pedestrians could barely elbow their way through and building exits were obstructed.

Where there was a rare opening onto the street, cars were even parked, blocking it off.

Baldacchino feared that if an accident were to occur in the apartments and hotels that lined the street, emergency services would not have access as the so-called cubicles for chairs and tables created obstacles.

They were also unsafe for their own patrons, she said, describing the situation as an accident waiting to happen as cars zapped around them.

“Do people have to die before we realise this is a main thoroughfare and should be for cars and not for people to be sitting in the middle of the road?”

Baldacchino highlighted the lack of safety by referring also to the recent overturning of a speeding car right next to the canopies, under which people sat, dropping an electricity pole in the process.

Double and triple parking order of the day

Other problems included a lack of parking spaces – already a “rarity” in Sliema – as these have been replaced by the outdoor seating.

Moreover, with no loading/unloading bays, delivery vans blocked the road by double – and triple – parking, meaning the two-lane main thoroughfare into Sliema whittled down to one, causing traffic congestion and danger.

Stressing the hazards of narrowing the road, Baldacchino mentioned, as an example, a recent fire in a Sliema restaurant.

“Ambulances, fire engines and the police were blocked,” she said, as traffic built up on the road.

Baldacchino has asked Transport Malta and other related entities to reduce reserved parking for coaches on the side of the promenade but was told this was not possible because it would cause double parking on a main road and would be dangerous.

The situation is going from bad to worse. We are living in a lawless land

She questioned why the same reasoning did not apply to the opposite side of the main road, where the cubicles stuck out into it and vehicles parked haphazardly, even obstructing garages.

Baldacchino has been contacting the various authorities for months but feels like she is on a wild goose chase as she gets passed on from one to the other.

“All they care about is serving businesses and the residents are completely forgotten,” she said.

“This is a residential area”

Ironically, signs on The Strand read: “This is a residential area. Do not disturb the residents. Keep quiet.”

But Josette Farrugia, who has been living there for 21 years, knows first-hand that they mean nothing.

Residents not only had to contend with the loud music from the bars in what has been described as “Paceville in Sliema” but also the headache of the “abominable” boat parties that leave from The Strand.

The “unbelievable” beat of the bass starts as they prepare to go at 5pm, presumably to attract revellers, Farrugia said.

At midnight, these then disembark drunk, to more ear-splitting music, buy more drinks from beneath the flats and make a mess all along The Ferries, she continued, describing the appalling state of the dirty sea in the morning after the boats get cleaned.

“Living here has become unbearable in every sense. You simply cannot stay on the balcony or in your front room unless the doors are shut,” Farrugia continued.

“The situation is going from bad to worse. We are living in a lawless land,” she said about having invested in a seafront apartment to end up living like this.

And it does not stop there, said Monica Wittkemper, a German national living in another apartment block, who also spoke about the disturbance caused by the collection of commercial waste and “reverberating” sound of crushing of glass in the early hours of the morning.

Wittkemper came to Malta 13 years ago and rented her apartment before she bought it, having fallen in love with the “lovely and peaceful” area, the smells of the sea and the sounds of the waves.

Now, since around 2020, she cannot enjoy this anymore as the “unbearable” smell of cooking means she cannot even ventilate her flat and, like other residents, feels she is being driven out.

To add insult to injury, eateries like the Gourmet Cocktail Bar and Grill and Trattoria del Mare were riddled with illegalities and, even though slapped with enforcement notices, continued to operate.

Wittkemper is contemplating leaving, although she knows the value of her apartment is not what it was with the unruliness it is now surrounded by.

Meanwhile, she has been relentless in her fight, making constant reports about the noise to the police and attending countless court sittings as a witness.

However, these cases are constantly deferred for months on end, playing into the hands of the business owners, and the “inescapable” loud music just carries on.