Paceville

Walking down Dragonara Road towards the palace on the promontory known as Dragonara Point any visitor to these islands would be forgiven if they imagined that this was in stark contrast to the Golden Mile which was being developed between St George's Bay and Spinola Bay that included some of Malta's finest five-star hotels.

The area between St Julian's Bay and St George's Bay was, until 50 years ago, urban wasteland that had been developed into apartments for the British Services families and which later grew into one of the most popular entertainment areas in these islands.

Ironically, it was all because of that palace at the far end of the main thoroughfare of this hamlet that the area attracted so many entrepreneurs to open hundreds of bars, restaurants and leisure outlet.

In 1963, the palace was opened as Malta's first casino; in those days the area was still seen as a very exclusive residential area. Since 1936 the residents in this area included the Augustinian Fathers who were given some land by a benefactor; the chapel of Our Lady of Good Counsel was rebuilt together with the modern convent in 1973, and in 2000 the Millennium Chapel - that oasis of peace - was opened next to the chapel.

Although Paceville has become an entertainment mecca for thousands of young people every evening, there is a sizable resident population who believe this area of St. Julian's is their home - they have a right to live here and one must respect that right.

The government has already contributed to an upgrading of the area by investing in the Paceville Embellishment Project - it took nearly a year, over 12,000 square metres of road upgrades and a sizable saving labour cost, since most of the work was carried out by the Ministry for Resources and Infrastructure.

The decentralisation policy adopted by Government in 1993 also ensured that the residents in Paceville were represented at the initial meetings to discuss the refurbishment and upgrade of this part of StJulian's - the local council together with the GRTU - Association of General Retailers and Traders, as well as ministry representatives.

Paceville did not just have an aesthetic problem before the refurbishment project was completed; it also had a social problem. This, too, has been eased somewhat thanks to an increase in police presence and traffic regulations during peak times.

It is important now to ensure that Paceville continues to get the special attention it needs and which it has received over the past 11 years since the St Julian's council was set up. This area will remain a high priority for me, should I be elected councillor for St Julian's.

Richard Scicluna, who is contesting the March 12 local council election in St Julian's as a Nationalist Party candidate, is a retired director and representative of several insurance agencies. He has worked in the UK and Malta as well as being involved in a number of extracurricular voluntary associations and clubs; he was treasurer of Sliema Wanderers FCl (1975-1980) and is now a very active member of the Millennium Chapel welcoming group. Mr Scicluna, who lives in Paceville, is married with three children and three grandchildren.