Construction magnate Charles Polidano has heeded the Siggiewi council’s warning that it will ban his trucks from passing from Triq Ghar Lapsi, unless he cleans the road outside Dar tal-Providenza from a trail of rocks, stones and dust.
The Dar tal-Providenza home for the disabled lies on the way to Ghar Lapsi, where Polidano’s quarry is situated.
Polidano cleaned up his act just two days before the 30 September ultimatum issued by the council.
But deputy Siggiewi mayor Carol Aquilina is not satisfied, claiming that the road is still not “up to standard”.
Aquilina confirmed that he is still drafting a bye-law prohibiting trucks carrying stone and coarse aggregate from passing through Triq Ghar Lapsi – which leads to Polidano’s largest hard stone quarry.
“I check the situation every two days. The road is still full of dust. It is like a Christmas village all year round because whenever one drives through this road a cloud of white dust follows,” Aquilina told MaltaToday.
Aquilina made it clear that this is only his personal opinion as the council has not yet decided whether to approve the draft bye-law.
The deputy mayor claims that Polidano’s trucks are not properly covered and construction material is allowed to fall from trucks on their way in or out of the quarry.
The proposed bye-law would ban heavy vehicles carrying construction material from entering, circulating, parking or waiting in the area between the roundabout near Polidano’s Lapsi quarry to the corner of the road intersecting with Bur il-Kbir road.
If enacted, the bye-law would enable fines to be issued against anyone violating the law.
Karol Aquilina, insists that the situation had become intolerable, especially in view of the fact that the trucks are passing in front of Dar tal-Providenza: a residence for persons with special needs.
The renewal of the permit for the Lapsi quarry included a condition that the road must be kept clean and this condition was also tied to a bank guarantee of €3,494.06.
A veritable blot on a picturesque area facing Filfla, and sited a few metres away from the Dar Tal-Providenza, the quarry is no stranger to controversy. In 2006, MEPA turned down the Siggiewi local council’s objections to a planning application by Polidano Group to continue hard stone quarry operations. The Siggiewi council had urged MEPA to turn down the application and rehabilitate the site.

jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt

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