Work on Mellieħa

I have just come to the end of another stay with my friends in Mellieħa. As usual I enjoyed myself, particularly the local festivities and other Maltese nights that followed the festival.

I am told Mellieħa has big aspirations to put itself on the map and I admit that quite a lot of what I witnessed seems to be in the right direction. But there is a long, long way to go yet.

My friends live in Mellieħa Heights, which is a lovely area where people look after their homes. On a cool evening last week I decided to take a short walk in the vicinity of where I was staying and I became livid at what I saw.

Yes, the houses and villas are beautiful but the surrounding areas are abominable. There is a lovely walk on Etna Street, which brings one to a lovely place overlooking the bay and beyond.

Honestly, one cannot walk and look at the view because you have to look out and skip over dog excrement.

In a 20-minute walk, I came across six large areas of derelict land full of dried flora and rubbish. One particular square had been dug up to be made into a playground and has been like that for over a year. Surely, these open areas could be flattened and made into car parks, thus freeing the two-way narrow streets from parked cars on either side of the road.

My British friends do not have a clue as to who is responsible. I brought the subject up in the local pub and I was advised to go to the local council or the Malta Environment and Planning Authority or to write to the local newspaper.

I've opted to do this as I am now on my way back to the UK hoping somebody who can bring about some improvement to such a lovely area will do something about it.

Maybe next time I come back I will be able to write about the wonderful job done by those responsible.