A construction company that was halted from works over fears that the excavation of a Birkirkara site could trigger a collapse has continued to spit in the space of safety requirements following a court order.
The issue first erupted in April 2021, when an exasperated family reached out to Lovin Malta after two structural and geological reports highlighted that they were at risk of being buried in their home due to nearby construction.
The Montebello family had spent thousands to alert authorities over the shoddy workmanship and enforcement in the construction site. At the time, the architect of the site originally provided a four-line method statement which failed to get basic facts right and had to be revised three times.
Excavations continued without approval and were only properly halted once the Montebellos took the owners to court.
An agreement was reached in May 2021 whereby the safety of the family would be guaranteed, including by providing them with adequate alternative accommodation.
The court had said it would not take responsibility for the safety of the couple and their two children, given that there were reports warning of danger.
However, since then, the contractors have regularly breached regulations including a continued failure to adhere to the method statements submitted to the Building and Construction Agency.
In October 2021, the BCA even halted works on the site over its failure to follow the approved method statement. Lovin Malta is informed that the method statement has been changed multiple times to fit the processes being employed at the site.
Meanwhile, sources have claimed that the contractor is not adhering to required distances between third-party properties and excavation, presenting a major danger to residents.
One resident has even sustained damage to his property over the last few months.
There are also concerns over the construction piling being used, with many raising concerns that it also does not meet the certification requirements outlined in the method statement.
The BCA has been informed. However, officers are yet to visit the site for a thorough examination.
Questions now remain as to whether the courts and enforcement authorities can even uphold the law in Malta’s cowboy construction industry, with many seemingly still ignoring the law with little to no repercussion.
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