Valletta residents flag second construction incident this month, call for preventive measures

Valletta’s residents group called for stricter preventive measures after the facades of two houses just a few streets away from each other were damaged by construction trucks in less than three weeks.

In a brief statement, Residenti Beltin noted that the two incidents occurred on 10 October and 29 October.

The first incident left “deep cracks” in the wooden frame of a balcony, with the residents’ group stating that the contractor promised to take responsibility for the damage that was caused.

“Nineteen days later, another incident occurred in St Christopher Street. A heavy construction truck allegedly lost control of its brakes, smashing into another traditional Maltese balcony,” the group’s statement reads.

The residents’ group noted that Valletta was never designed to cater for large construction lorries and other similar heavy vehicles, pointing out that these vehicles “navigate dangerously tight corners with minimal supervision or traffic management.”

The group argued that preventive measures such as regular road maintenance, strict checks on construction vehicles, and regulated access routes and times for machinery within residential zones should be imposed on operators to better regulate heavy construction in Valletta’s narrow streets.

While these problems are not unique to the capital city, Valletta’s status as a UNESCO World Heritage site – which was already at risk as recently as last year following the culture ministry’s failure to implement key recommendations – means it merits special mention due to the increased risk of damaging priceless structures.

Valletta’s residents have had it particularly rough over the last few years, facing a range of nuisances from loud blaring music to burgeoning commercial use of public spaces to heavy traffic stemming from cruiseliner and ferry ports. Valletta’s aging population decreased 5% since 2014, an issue which locals blame on house prices in the increasingly unaffordable city.

Residenti Beltin founder Billy McBee argued that their complaint isn’t “about pointing fingers but about making sure that everyone and every aspect is safeguarded.”

In comments to The Shift, McBee noted that, especially in a city like Valletta, “it is unacceptable that the construction and heavy vehicle sector should continue operating almost unchecked.”

In the context of a raging debate about the government’s contentious planning bills, which will heavily deregulate the construction industry and dismantle all remaining environmental safeguards within the planning regime, Residenti Beltin’s appeal for tighter regulations becomes all the more relevant.

“These bills fall significantly short of delivering the enforcement, monitoring, prevention of accidents, and safeguards for workers, residents and heritage sites that should accompany such sectoral reform. A truly robust reform would incorporate not just planning permission tweaks but mandatory safety protocols, independent and constant inspections, transparent accountability for violations, and meaningful traffic/vehicle control regimes,” McBee added.