Planning Authority Orders Removal of Illegal Sliema Hotel Structure
· Updated
In brief
- The Planning Authority issued an enforcement notice over an unauthorised structure outside a Sliema hotel restaurant.
- The order came hours after activist group Moviment Graffitti threatened direct action to clear the site.
- The regulator instructed the operators to remove the installation rather than immediately clearing the public space itself.
The Planning Authority has ordered the removal of an unauthorised structure outside a restaurant on The Strand in Sliema, following public criticism and warnings from community activists.
The development was erected outside the new Piccolo Padre restaurant at the Centric Hotel, a commercial site linked to developer Carlo Stivala.
The regulatory intervention arrived shortly after activist group Moviment Graffitti condemned the occupation of public space and threatened to take direct action if the illegal structure was not removed.
Following the activist warning, the Planning Authority issued an enforcement notice instructing the immediate removal of the unauthorised installation from the pavement.
The watchdog's chosen procedure nevertheless drew immediate scrutiny, as Planning Authority executive chairperson Johann Buttigieg stopped short of ordering direct action by state crews to tear down the structure.
By issuing an enforcement notice instead of executing direct clearance, the regulator has placed the obligation on the site operators to remove the obstruction themselves.
The Spin Room
Medium media divide. Outlets agreed on the enforcement notice issued against the unauthorised structure, but differed over the Planning Authority's approach, with one highlighting the prompt response following activist warnings while another criticised the regulator for not clearing the site directly.
- Newsbook: Emphasised that the Planning Authority ordered the structure removed within hours of direct action threats from activist group Moviment Graffitti.
- The Shift News: Focused on Planning Authority head Johann Buttigieg stopping short of immediate direct action, opting for an enforcement notice instead of clearing the public area.
Updates
- : Updated with reporting from MaltaToday and NET News: Sliema residents joined Moviment Graffitti in raising objections and demanding the immediate clearance of the promenade.