Giving credit to Lija local council

I refer to Angelo Polidano's letter (The Sunday Times, December 21) about various aspects of village life in Lija.

I have been a resident of the village for almost 40 years and regularly find fault with many things. I have written about my concerns in the press. However, it is very unfair to criticise the local council without also giving it its due to have improved many things in the village.

A couple of weeks ago I attended a local council meeting where I learnt that the council has been insisting with the Malta Environment and Planning Authority to implement its Traffic Management Plan, which would ensure that traffic from outlying districts would not use Lija as a short cut.

Wardens are also employed in the village but you cannot expect them to be in a fixed place for 24 hours. Therefore, so big trucks do manage to get through. Parking bays in Triq il-Forn near the German Ambassador's residence have also brought a semblance of order.

The parish square was given a complete makeover just five months ago as was the children's playing field. Garbage collection is pretty regular and the streets are generally clean with sweepers going through the village on a daily basis.

It is true that some streets are fouled by dog muck but that is because of irresponsible dog owners, and unless caught in the act there is very little anyone can do about it.

We must certainly not forget the battle the council had with developers to safeguard the belvedere from being engulfed by high rise buildings and so protect the long-established avenue leading to the parish church. We must also remember the support given to the fireworks committee to keep producing their beautiful displays.

It is true that not all is perfect in Lija but as residents we must not always be ready to slap someone in the face at the first opportunity. I have found that consulting council staff has always proved worthwhile. It is true that I do not always get the answer I would like to my query but, on reflection, I must admit there are times when I am wrong.