Mayor hits out at cost of proposed car park

The cost of the proposed Sliema Ferries car park was “massive” in relation to the number of parking spaces created, Sliema mayor Anthony Chircop said yesterday. When contacted, Mr Chircop said the shelving of the plans was disappointing “to an extent” because more parking spaces were badly needed in the area. “The main difficulty seemed to be the massive investment for the additional parking spaces, which was also a concern for us (the council),” the mayor said. Infrastructure Minister Joe Mizzi told Parliament on Monday that the Government was re-examining the feasibility of the project which, he claimed, would cost 60 per cent more than the original estimate. Plans for the €7 million underground car park with a landscaped roof were approved by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority in December. About half of the funding for the 200-space car park would have come from Mepa’s commuted parking payment scheme, collected from Sliema businesses and developers in the locality. It would have replaced the current surface car park where a parking attendant crams in as many vehicles as possible. Former Resources Minister George Pullicino, whose ministry had planned the project,...