Xemxija Hill safety

Reference is made to St Paul's Bay mayor Paul Bugeja's contribution (November 11). Mr Bugeja addressed only one issue, namely that of consultation and, even on this issue, he left much to be desired.

Meetings with Xemxija Hill residents were only held on application No. PA 2355/01 which was opposed by the same residents and which was eventually shot down by the DCC board during a public hearing. A few weeks later, another application No. PA 6394/01 was very discretely submitted to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority for approval to which the Xemxija Hill residents were not brought to its awareness by their mayor.

In the second application, the mayor did not feel that he warranted feedback from the people who were to be adversely affected by this project but opted to exhibit the plans in some obscure area of the administration of the council.

Mr Bugeja states that "the plan that is being implemented at present is the one with which all parties involved agreed on". This is sheer misinformation! Who are "all the parties involved that agreed on the present plan"? Maybe Mepa, maybe the local council, maybe the ADT, but surely and definitely not the small and humble fry that constitute the Xemxija Hill residents. Shame!

The stretch of road that we, the residents of Xemxija Hill (not Mr Fenech) want to remain as is today consists of 16 garages and 16 entrances to private dwellings and one - not three - business establishments, as stated by the mayor (the two business establishments referred to by the mayor are on the periphery of the disputed part and have ample parking space).

And when is parking for business establishments more important than the life and limb of a human being? Surely, the mayor must have his priorities horribly wrong! In front of this stretch of road, barely 12 parking spaces will be created and, at the same time, 16 garage spaces in front of the 16 garages will be taken away. Where are the 50 parking spaces in front of the disputed stretch of road going to be created, as alleged by the mayor?

What the mayor failed to address completely are the more serious issues involved. The traffic going towards Mellieha will be passing one metre away from our residences. To get out from our garages, we have to reverse on two lanes of oncoming traffic, go and park somewhere and return on foot to close our garages, hoping that nobody had in the meantime intruded into our homes while we were away. The reverse happens when we want to get into the garage.

Moreover, when the rain water is gushing down the hill, we will definitely be showered by a wall of dirty water the moment we dare open our house door. The damage to property by the constant splashing of dirty rain water onto the façade and doors of our houses by the speeding cars is also guaranteed.

Our wives and elderly are expected to park opposite our residences and cross a major thoroughfare, which has maimed and killed, with their shopping bags. The Franciscan nuns who run a home for young children will have no option but to be confined to their house if they come up with their children for the summer break at all.

The above are the more serious issues that the mayor and his council must address as well as who is finally responsible if some serious accident happens due to the ill-design of this road.

Mr Bugeja states that "it is highly unfair that in our locality the people that have a summer residence are objecting to projects intended to make the lives of those who live here all year round as well as those that visit the locality on holiday more convenient". How far from the truth! What arrogance!

Proposing projects that put people's life and limb at risk is hardly making one's life convenient. In the disputed part of Xemxija Hill, there are four families that live permanently, three families that spend six months of the year here, the rest are summer residents and one business establishment. We are all against the mayor and the local council's proposals for our stretch of road as witnessed by the list of all the residents, with their respective addresses and ID numbers, supplied with this letter, as well as by our representation to higher quarters.