Inspections ongoing to ensure no demolition, excavation works in tourist areas

During summertime, hence between 15th June and the 30th of September 2022, demolition, and excavation works in designated areas known as touristic areas cannot be held. The list of areas in which such works cannot take place is published by the Malta Tourism Authority since it is the managing authority for tourism in Malta. 

This initiative is coordinated yearly between the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA), the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), and the Planning Authority (PA) which considers the nuisance and inconvenience that construction sites have on the surrounding neighbourhood.

The summer break period is enforced by the means of a legal notice which mitigates the nuisance that construction sites have on both the tourism industry and the number of Maltese families who move to their summer residences. 

The demolition and excavation phases at a construction site are by far the greatest inconvenience for the surrounding areas. When defining demolition and excavation, one must understand that this does not mean all construction works. Demolition is the action and process of taking down an existing building, while excavation is the cutting and digging of rock and soil, using heavy machinery. This is done to ensure that the tourists visiting our country during the summer period, will have an enhancing experience of our country. 

Although the Malta Tourism Authority identifies such sites where such works cannot take place, the Building and Construction Authority assists in the implementation of such measures and may demand the immediate cessation of such works whenever related infringements are noted.

The full list of all identified localities and streets can be found on the MTA website www.mta.com.mt/en/summerbreaktime2022.

Persons wishing to add more streets to the list for 2023 are invited to send requests to the MTA through their respective Local Council on [email protected] by 31st August 2022. 

Meanwhile reports on current works may be lodged at the Building and Construction Authority Enforcement team on freephone 80049000, during office hours, and on 99637508 (Malta) and 99098855 (Gozo) after office hours or email [email protected].

The tasks delegated to the BCAs enforcement team are far from only complaints regarding works in touristic areas. The BCA has an enforcement team working daily beyond normal office hours, during the weekend and public holidays. The team provides pertinent assistance interested third parties in the vicinity of a construction site may require.

Through its main channels, mainly the customer care team, BCA receives several daily complaints regarding construction works, from the general public. Customer Care handles such complaints which are then passed to the enforcement team via an electronic system, to have all data handled wisely and referenced accordingly. With the help of Building Inspectors, the enforcement team will visit such sites to verify the information/complaint reported and act accordingly. 

If such works are of danger to the third parties, works are stopped until the developer makes the necessary arrangements to mitigate the danger. 

During a site visit, a Building Inspector will look for any possible infringements and try to resolve those which may be rectified immediately on the spot. Building Inspectors can digitally access any relevant information during their site visit. Thus, they may confirm or otherwise, whether the construction works are following any applicable laws, regulations, policies, or guidelines.  

However, apart from being passive, that is, acting only on reports and complaints, the enforcement team is being proactive. Currently, the inspectors are doing random inspections on other sites where no reports have been submitted on them. These inspections are carried out to ensure, as is reasonably practicable, that all sites are compliant with the laws regulating the construction industry.

In the coming weeks, the BCA is consolidating its enforcement team by recruiting a considerable number of prospective building inspectors, to ensure that more random checks around the islands are done and decrease the time of reaction to all complaints.