It was refreshing to hear that after throwing Fort Delimara, one of our jewels, to the dogs for years, it has finally been handed over to Heritage Malta.

I am confident that Heritage Malta will take appropriate action to restore this fort in the shortest possible time.

There are other fortifications and the Delimara lighthouse in this area. Not so far away is the inaccessible archaeological site of Tas-Silg. The whole area, including St Thomas Bay, cries out for comprehensive restoration and upgrading initiatives to provide the Maltese and tourists with a much needed heritage and recreational zone here.

Successive governments have overspent much more resources on dubious projects, than to conserve, restore and upgrade our historical and natural heritage. Fort St Elmo, Fort St Angelo, Fort Manoel and other forts like Benghajsa, Fort Bingemma, Fort Tigné, Fort Madliena, Fort Ricasoli and parts of the Cottonera Lines, similarly shared decades of shameful neglect and misuse.

It is high time to restore and polish such jewels, and develop them into attractions accessible to all.