Planning Authority Removes Illegal Paving Outside Sliema Restaurant
In brief
- Planning Authority enforcement officers took direct action on Tuesday to clear unauthorised paving along The Strand in Sliema.
- The removed paving had been installed outside the Piccolo Padre restaurant, owned by developer Carlo Stivala.
- The intervention follows sustained public controversy regarding the unlawful occupation of public land on the promenade.
The Planning Authority moved in on Tuesday morning to dismantle and remove unauthorised paving laid outside a Sliema restaurant along The Strand.
Enforcement officers conducted the direct action to clear paving installed in front of the Piccolo Padre restaurant, which forms part of a hotel development owned by developer Carlo Stivala.
The enforcement operation follows several weeks of public debate and controversy concerning the encroachment onto public land along the busy promenade.
The site had drawn significant public scrutiny after the paving was installed without the required planning permits, effectively occupying pedestrian space for commercial use.
Direct action interventions by the planning regulator remain relatively uncommon across the islands, with thousands of pending enforcement notices awaiting physical execution.
Workmen on site on Tuesday morning were seen breaking up the paved surface to restore the area to its previous state and reopen the public pavement.
The Spin Room
Low media divide. Both outlets reported the direct action consistently, focusing on the removal of the unauthorised paving along the Sliema promenade.