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James Debono
The Sliema local council is facing two setbacks in the ongoing storm over the locality’s traffic plans, where limited parking is a top concern.
The Lands Department has rejected the council’s request for the devolution of the Ferries car park to the council because of “other government plans”, which remain unspecified.
Additionally, the Qui-Si-Sana car park developers C&F Contractors have invited the council to hold a joint public consultation meeting on the residential parking scheme (RPZ), the company is proposing.
C&F have written to the council asking it to hold this meeting at the St Gregory’s parish hall on 25 and 27 January. But the council has unanimously voted against participating in this meeting.
The Sliema council wrote back to C&F saying its policy is that the RPZ is carried out by the council and nobody else. The council insisted there was no need for public consultation before MEPA and the Malta Transport Authority (ADT) approves its RPZ plan.
Sliema council is seeking approval from the ADT for its own residential parking scheme, covering all the roads in the locality. The council’s parking scheme would be free for residents and visitors alike. The council’s plan offers Sliema residents 50 per cent of surface parking. Visitors to the town will only be able to park for a maximum of two hours in parking spaces reserved for residents. They will have unrestricted access to the other 50 per cent of parking space.
According to Alternattiva Demokratika’s councillor for Sliema Micahel Briguglio, as long as the development brief on Qui-Si-Sana car park is not withdrawn by the government, the developer of the controversial Qui-Si-Sana carpark is entitled to present his own parking plans.
Briguglio insists the development brief should be withdrawn to enable the Sliema council to continue working on its own RPZ scheme. The council has asked for a meeting with the Prime Minister on the Qui-Si-Sana brief but no such meeting has been held yet.
“Following the withdrawal of the development brief a new public consultation should be held,” Briguglio said.
No free parking
In October 2005, MaltaToday revealed that C&F contractors had told the Sliema council they intended charging each household having more than two cars Lm100 for each parking space in its RPZ zone, which would extend from Dingli Street to Tigné.
The council has objected to the plans for paid parking.
But according to the development brief approved by both the Malta Environment and Planning Authority and the government, the parking scheme is to be managed by C&F Contractors during the first three years.
The development brief also mentions the possibility of charging residents for parking. Following the initial three years, the RPZ should indicate how the local council shall generate revenue for the ongoing administration of the scheme. “This may include charging for short stay parking fines and/or nominal annual fees to residents joining the scheme,” the brief reads.
The brief also states any proposals for the RPZ “should specify estimation of any nominal annual fee for residents participating in the RPZ.”
According to the letter sent to the council by C&F, the public consultation meeting should be held “in line with the development brief.”
Ferries car park
The Lands’ Department has also refused devolving the Ferries car park to the Sliema council in view of “other government plans for the area”.
Qui-Si-Sana residents were shown plans of a reduced car park back in November in a meeting with Roads Minister Jesmond Mugliett, showing the present 300 spaces whittled down to 40.
Car park attendant Anthony Borg, who has managed the site for 19 years, is also claiming his licence has not been renewed for the next three months although ADT chief executive Gianfranco Selvaggi disputes the claim.
The North Harbour Local Plan presented back in 2000 states that the Ferries car park should be upgraded as “a major new public open space to replace the existing car park.”
The car park would be allowed to function until “the proposed Qui-Si-Sana car park is operational.”
Shop owners in the area are opposed to the elimination of the car park, concerned with it will only divert traffic to Albert Mizzi’s MIDI development in Tigné.
Exotique owner and former Maltasong Chairperson, Grace Borg, told MaltaToday she objects to any changes which would divert shoppers from the present commercial hub to Tigné and Qui-Si-Sana.
Borg welcomes the pedestrianisation of Bisazza Street and residential parking schemes, but only if the Ferries car park is retained and extended, and managed better. “Shoppers who park their cars in the Ferries should pay according to the time they spend in the car park. It would be ideal if the Ferries car park is managed by the local council.”
Other shopkeepers in the Sliema area have welcomed the fact that the car park attendant’s licence had not been renewed. “Clients constantly lament being hustled and even threatened by self appointed car park attendants. It is about time that the licences of certain car park attendants are not renewed,” a shop owner who wanted to remain anonymous told this newspaper.
However the same person insisted the Ferries car park should be retained and properly managed without any prohibitive parking fees for shop owners, employees and clients. “A fixed daily 50 cents parking charge will be more than reasonable for the employees and shop owners who park their cars at the Ferries on a daily basis.”
jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt
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