Update 2 | Arts Council removes kiosk from De Valette square

The justice and culture ministry has told MaltaToday that it had directed the Arts Council to remove an offending food kiosk from the De Valette square in Valletta, after it moved from its designated position in the corner of the square, right to beneath the La Valette statue.

The Valletta local council had earlier today told MaltaToday that the siting of the ‘La Valette’ kiosk was allocated there by the Arts Council, and not by the council. Valletta mayor Alexiei Dingli, who has said on Facebook that the location for the kiosk in the De Valette square was “unacceptable” said that his council had endorsed the applications submitted to the Arts Council for temporary kiosks during the Carnival celebrations.

“However, we did not decide on the sites allocated to the kiosks. This is the Arts Council’s decision,” Dingli said.

Arts Council did not authorise the setting up of kiosks in Pjazza de Valette. Kiosk being removed.

— Owen Bonnici (@OwenBonnici) February 12, 2015

But in a comment to MaltaToday, justice and culture minister Owen Bonnici said that it was the kiosk operator that had abused of his right to position himself right beneath the La Valette monument.

“The sites were designated for the erection of stalls - not kiosks - by both the Arts Council and the Valletta local council. This stall’s site was at the corner of the square – but someone seems to have abused of their permit and moved the kiosk right beneath the monument. I have sent people from the Arts Council to remedy the situation.”

The kiosk that cropped up in the De Valette square in Valletta had a five-day permit to sell burgers, chips and other takeaway food and drinks from the Valletta local council, MaltaToday has learnt.

The kiosk was erected just days after Culture Minister and the mayor of Valletta agreed that the square should not be used for parking.  

Dingli said that the Arts Council gave the Valletta council a list of applications, which the council endorsed, after kiosk operators applied for the Carnival permit with the Arts Council. “Their positioning was decided by the Arts Council,” the mayor said.