Suq tal-Belt delays enforcement as Arkadia present new canopy plans

New plans for Arkadia’s Valletta food court’s new canopy design have been presented, as the company attempts to reverse a planning enforcement by entering into talks with the heritage authorities.

The Suq tal-Belt’s canopy was hit by an enforcement order from the Planning Authority in October 2019.

The PA said the “permanent” structure had been built without a permit and was obstructing the façade of the scheduled building of the old Valletta market.

By filing an appeal to the PA’s environment and planning review tribunal (EPRT), Arkadia effectively delayed the removal of the tent structure, which remains in place now for two years – but the owners are currently subject to a daily fine of €50.

Arkadia had also requested in November 2021 that the appeal is deferred until the PA decides on the new canopy application, “following discussions with the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage and the Planning Authority”.  

The case was deferred to 22 March 2022, when the architect informed the tribunal that the application had been presented, and the appeal was deferred yet again to 9 June.

The new plans foresee the removal of the existing shading canopies, and  the installation of new canopies with a retractable, beige canvas roof and a different design.

The application is also accompanied by photomontages of the proposed tent structures.

The PA’s enforcement was issued against Arkadia Marketing Limited, which operates the food court in the Suq tal-Belt, and the Commissioner of Lands.

Arkadia argues that the awnings are not illegal but covered by a development notification permit issued by the PA in 2018. It said its original canopy had to be replaced due to deterioration and that it was a hazard to the public. To address these flaws the new structures were installed with additional steel frames to retain the canvas covering, while still respecting the dimensions of the original permit.

The 2018 permit had a validity of only one year and does not apply to the structures erected in 2019. The DNO permit issued in 2018 also allowed for a “one-time installation of a permanent canopy” within the said area and the permit has since expired, a PA spokesperson had told MaltaToday before the filing of the appeal.