Councils benefit from Mepa's urban improvement fund

Agreements have been signed between the Malta Environment & Planning Authority (Mepa) and eight councils to fully or partially fund nine projects that would contribute towards the urban improvement of the respective localities.

The urban improvement fund would be financing over €290,000, as it kept living up to its aim of ‘creating better places to live in’.

Mepa chairman Austin Walker said “The success of the urban improvement fund stems from the sound working relationship and understanding the authority has with local councils.”

He promised that Mepa “will continue to engage and invest in new, more efficient and effective ways to work hand in hand with local councils to ensure that all localities will continue to achieve high quality results through the promotion of more holistic and sustainable projects”.

The projects being funded include embellishment and upgrading works at Oreste Gardens in Hamrun, the housing estate in Ghaxaq and Birkirkara and Kennedy Square in Victoria. Other projects include new paving works around a number of streets in Msida, Zabbar, Marsascala and Marsa.

Parliamentary Secretary for Public Dialogue and Information Chris Said said the government’s primary aim was to have sustainable localities, a concept that could only be achieved if the country’s urban environment was improved.

He said that besides the 17 percent increase in direct funds allocated to local councils this year, amounting to €28 million, there were additional funds at the disposal of local councils, such as the urban improvement fund that over these two-and-a-half years has accumulated over €8.1 million.

The UIF committee, to date, has approved and financed 160 projects, equivalent to nearly €5million.