Extra €4.5 million for local councils

Local councils can become greener, get rid of TV antennas on rooftops, be more environmentally friendly and have better roads through 23 government schemes worth about €4.5 million.

The funds were "extra", over and above the amount allocated to local councils in the Budget, Public Dialogue Parliamentary Secretary Chris Said explained.

One new fund, for example, will be financed by fines collected by the local tribunal and will allow the council to employ social workers to help children who have problems at school.

This is the second year that councils could benefit from extra funds. In fact, the government decided to re-launch and widen the schemes available because it was so popular last year, Dr Said explained.

Local councils were informed about them last week and can apply for funds to build public libraries, plant about 4,000 trees or restore small historic items, such as niches, found in the locality.

Another €2 million, through EU funds, will be set aside to restore squares or town squares having a historic value in six or seven localities.

The schemes range from organising sports and cultural activities, making public places more accessible and holding lifelong learning courses for residents.

With the switchover to digital television this year, the rooftop aerials will become obsolete and councils can apply for funds to have them removed from each household and help the locality look better, Dr Said noted.

Three towns - Madliena, Mqabba and Kirkop - will take part in a pilot project where all the road works will be completed by the end of this year. Dr Said explained that the three localities were chosen because they had all the paperwork, designs and quotes for the project ready.

Also, councils with a high influx of people not from their locality, such as St Paul's Bay, Sliema or Valletta, will be able to apply for funds for a refuse and road cleaning service.

As of this year, instead of claiming refunds for council-related expenses, such as for use of mobile phones, councillors will be given an annual grant of €1,200 to cover such expenses.

This initiative, part of the recently-announced local council reform, was introduced to cut cases of abuse, Dr Said pointed out.

In a move to promote a paper-free environment, councillors will also have to set up a gov.mt e-mail account where they will receive all their official correspondence.

"We want the councils to lead by example. No more photocopies will be made and sent to councillors but everything will be scanned and sent via e-mail," he said.