Updated | Birzebbuga to benefit from double-glazed windows against Freeport din

Around 150 homes in Birzebbuga will benefit from a government scheme that will fund double-glazed windows to protect from noise pollution emanating from the nearby Freeport terminals.

Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi announced the scheme in Birzebbuga on Thursday and said that €300,000 will be cumulatively spent to upgrade ailing households' windows against the constant din from the Freeport.

"Birzebbuga is a town that contributed to our economy in the form of the Delimara power station, the Freeport terminals, the oil tankers, and due to these investments, the residents here had to face certain problems over the years. This government understood this and planned to address these deficiencies," Mizzi said.

He added that as part of the government's mission to address such issues, it had already decommissioned most of the oil tanks in the area and transformed Delimara to a natural gas-powered plant. New rubber-tired Gantry Cranes were also introduced earlier this year as a noise abatement measure. 

"A planned garden is already in the works, which will create a natural boundary between the Freeport and the residential areas. A skatepark was regenerated and a carpark will also be designed," Mizzi announced, adding that a planned promenade will soon transform Birzebbuga into a more attractive area.

The double-glazing windows scheme will be open to 38 streets in Birzebbuga most affected by the noise pollution from the Freeport—all eligible residents will be able to apply in the coming days.

"The government will be paying for around 90% of the expenses for residents' windows. Every household can claim a maximum of €2,000," Mizzi said. 

The scheme followed focus group sessions between the government and Birzebbuga residents. Mizzi claimed that most residents had responded that they were still bothered by noise in the area. 

Find out which streets are eligible for the government scheme in the document below:

Hermann Schiavone: 'this is not a solution'

Nationalist MP Hermann Schiavone said that the double-glazing windows scheme was far from a solution and was ultimately an insult to the intelligence of the residents of Birzebbuga.

"It's not a solution to force people to fork out €200 while the government assures you it would pay for the rest of your windows," he said on a live Facebook video.

Instead, he suggested a shore-to-ship supply where vessels would not have to rely on noisy generators to power their machines. Instead, these would be connected to the main grid, avoiding the use of generators. Shore-to-ship supply has also been invoked in the past as a way of staving off carbon emissions.

"I had already spoken in Parliament with Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi on this issue and he had assured me that he would work on this proposal. We are happy with his other proposals, schemes like the car park and the garden, but the major problem in this locality is noise," Schiavone said.

He discredited Mizzi as attempting to trick residents of Birzebbuga. "It's an unsult to residents for a minister to come here and announce that 150 families will have their pain alleviated by asking them to change their windows," he said, adding that he would take legal measures necessary to protect the residents of Birzebbuga.

"This is not a question of partisan politics. We need to work together to safeguard the health of Birzebbuga residents."