Anna Maria Baldacchino was the first resident to speak to Lovin Malta, detailing how they feel they have been forgotten and how this ordeal has continuously affected their quality of life.

“We have found out that this place doesn’t even have a permit – so he is over there with tables and chairs, with the canopy roof open,  music traveling up to us through the loudspeakers, and we cannot even enjoy our own veranda,” she explained.

And that’s just the start. Baldacchino described the smell of oil from the food being cooked as “sickening”. 

“Besides that, I can’t understand how the concept of health and safety was abandoned. This is part of a hotel, if it ever were to catch on fire, people will be faced with a blockage and they cannot even go out efficiently,” she said, pointing out that the canopy also blocks the hotel’s main entrance.

“I can’t for the life of me understand why the authorities have done absolutely nothing about this,” she expressed.

Baldacchino also deals with delivery vans being parked in front of their garage on a daily basis, due to the hotel not having its own designated un/loading bay. 

“We’re very angry. They literally do what they want, that is the reality of it all. And to top it all off, you have people constantly coming in and out of the space, cigarette butts everywhere, and even vomit on our front step, it’s disgusting. Who’s gonna clean it?” she said.

“This is the situation – should residents be treated in this way and not even be considered?”

“We can’t enjoy our own property, everything is about business and our needs and peace of mind are left forgotten. All this talk about mental health, it’s only words and talk is very cheap, but the reality is when push comes to shove nothing is done.”

Baldacchino detailed how she has written to a number of entities on the matter – including the Ombudsman, the Planning Authority, the Lands Authority, and the Malta Tourism Authority – but still, nothing has been done.

The other resident that Lovin Malta spoke to, who wished to remain anonymous, detailed how this is a case of “a state of total lawlessness”.

“The pavement is completely blocked, and it’s a very serious problem, for everyone. Speaking as a human, not a resident, one cannot pass from the pavement because of people drinking and blocking the pavement,” they explained.

“Not only residents are suffering due to this,” they said, referring to those with pushchairs or wheelchairs, “and people give you dirty looks when you try to pass”.

“The establishment has completely made the pavement theirs!” 

They also detailed how at times when there was a DJ, the bass would make their apartment shake.

“How is there no intervention happening to protect the residents of the area? There is a local council sign that says that this is a residential area, they cannot expect to sanction something so inconvenient in a residential area.”

Do you think authorities need to listen to residents more?