Residents disadvantaged at Balluta

Balluta is a residential area as Paceville was once a residential area. However, one only has to look at the blocks of apartments once occupied by British Services families and which have remained vacant all these years in Paceville to see the tip of the iceberg problem caused by the granting of unbridled development and entertainment permits. The residents also have to bear the brunt of the vehicular and pedestrian traffic brought about by the too concentrated entertainment venues, which have sprouted up amid dwellings. At different times attempts were started to try and ameliorate the situation in Paceville but with mixed results.

Balluta proper has no local council; the St Julians council does not seem to be keen to emulate the Lija council and put its foot down with regard to unbridled development permits, harmful to residents in Balluta. Are Balluta residents to be ridden over roughshod by the increasing number of outlets being requested for wine bars, with all the loud music, extra traffic and parking problems as well as disorderly behaviour? Balluta residents are a peaceful lot but the powers that be should look into this matter and not allow it to get out of hand.

The St Julians local council's glossy-paged magazine, distributed recently, calls for the appointment of persons to represent certain areas but what use is this if such persons' advice is ignored ?

Was it not enough that we had to endure long weeks with reeking drainage smells from overflowing sewers or perhaps damaged outflows?

And how about the nice smell sometimes foisted on Balluta's tree-lined square emanating from some works in progress or from the bring-in bins on the other side of the street? Will we have a plethora of smells from new entrepreneurs, deep diggers intent on excavating to enlarge their premises without a care of the discomfort meted out to third parties when the underlying drainage pipes are put out of commission for whole apartment blocks? As it is, both political parties have a slim number of votes difference. Would they gamble this away by having someone campaigning as an independent to remedy ills foisted on Balluta and similar residential areas, without mixing in other political credos as Allejanza or Alternattiva do?