Buttigieg stops short of direct action against Carlo Stivala’s new illegal structure

Embattled Planning Authority chief Johann Buttigieg has so far stopped short of ordering direct action to remove an unauthorised structure outside Carlo Stivala’s Sliema hotel, announcing an enforcement notice instead of an immediate operation to clear the public space.

While the notice requires the contravener to remove the structure, it does not mean that the authority has deployed officers and contractors to dismantle it.

That distinction leaves the authority waiting for compliance or further intervention.

Enforcement notices can be challenged through legal procedures, prolonging disputes over removal. Such proceedings, usually used by ‘cowboy’ developers, can leave unauthorised structures standing for years while cases are contested.

An appeal does not, however, legalise development or automatically suspend requirements to stop works or use.

The authority has statutory powers to undertake removal when enforcement requirements are not obeyed, subject to applicable procedures.

Yet its announcement so far contains no direct action date or deadline for its own intervention.

The Shift asked Buttigieg what he was doing about the construction and why the authority had not intervened directly yet. He did not reply to those questions.

The PA announced notice EC/122/26, demanding immediate removal and saying it had previously instructed the contravener to cease works. It claimed it acted immediately following complaints, including representations from Sliema Local Council.

The Shift confirmed that a metal canopy was being constructed in broad daylight outside Piccolo Padre restaurant at Stivala’s Centric Hotel on The Strand. Photographs show steel supports, scaffolding and workers occupying the pavement.

Lawyer Claire Bonello, representing Sliema Local Council, demanded immediate intervention in a letter yesterday. She described the structure as extending across public pavement and onto the carriageway.

The council said a Planning Authority MapServer screenshot showed no application or permit covering it. Bonello accused the operator of adopting a “Build now, sanction later” approach.

The complaint alleged breaches of six outdoor catering policies, citing pedestrian obstruction, wheelchair accessibility, traffic risks and impaired visibility at the junction. It demanded removal and prevention of catering beneath the structure.

Buttigieg faces calls for dismissal over alleged corruption and improper relationships with developers, following renewed scrutiny of his 2019 business discussions with Yorgen Fenech.

He previously denied doing business with Fenech. Prime Minister Robert Abela has resisted dismissal demands, saying the messages were already public. Campaigners maintain that they demonstrate unacceptable conflicts of interest.

The same hotel has its planning history.

In January 2025, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar reported 13 floors despite permits allowing nine. Its architect subsequently acknowledged works beyond earlier permissions.

The PA later approved sanctioning the hotel. Following an NGO appeal, the tribunal on 15 January 2026 required reductions to parts of its upper levels before permit reissuance.