‘Greed Incorporated’: St Julian’s Bar Calls Out Cafe’s New Platform As Police Called In To Remove Cars Parked In Protest
A popular bar in St Julian’s has called out a nearby cafe after the cafe was given permission to build an outdoor platform on top of five parking bays, including one disabled bay, and some rainwater culverts.
“Now you see it, now you don’t. The one and only disabled car parking space and another four in front of Nola Coffee shop have gone. Greed incorporated,” the City of London Bar said today.
The comments come after police were called in to remove a number of parked vehicles today following an hour-long standoff between St Julian’s residents and contracted workers over the platform earlier today.
The residents had parked their own cars in the parking bays set to be built over in protest – however, they were unable to do much after police removed their cars and allowed workers to continue.
Builders were in central Main Street to begin building a contested platform for Nola Cafe today after the eatery was given the green light to go ahead with construction last Friday by the Lands Authority.
“This is another example of how a government entity chooses to accommodate someone instead of safeguarding the common good and the interest of our residents. The arrogance of the few!” St Julian’s mayor Albert Buttigieg said in reaction to the police intervention.
City of London Bar commented on both the loss of the parking bays, as well as the rainwater culverts now becoming inaccessible.
“The culverts cannot be cleaned and maintained, and if blocked, as happened in the past, it will stay blocked as the platform (permit for tables and chairs reversed) is secured to the ground,” they continued.
The battle for the spaces has been going on for months, but now that the cafe was given permission to move ahead last Friday, and police are removing protesting residents, it remains to be seen what happens next.
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