SRA worried about Sliema situation
The prevailing negative situation within the Sliema council was keeping it from working effectively and efficiently, leaving most of the urgent issues requiring action either undone or incomplete, the Sliema Residents Association said in a statement.
It said that apart form the precarious traffic situation, air pollution and unsustainable overdevelopment problems, Sliema residents had been airing concerns about their living environs on the media and the inertia of the council.
Residents’ complained about the dirty state of pavements and roads, the omission of Sliema roads to be taken up for refurbishment, the unruly and uncivilised behaviour of language students within Sliema, the lack of a government run home for the elderly and the inadequate collection of refuse. A number of traffic accidents had also been occuring in the same areas within Sliema, the SRA noted.
The SRA insisted that councillors should take their responsibilities and duties seriously.
All elected members and their parties had to keep in mind that the responsibilities, duties and interest of the councillors should, first and foremost, be towards Sliema residents and their locality and not the party they represented, it said.
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31 Comments
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E.A. Micallef
Aug 20th 2010, 23:29
It is said of London and it is equally true of Sliema ... 'Sliema is Sliema' ... Love it or hate it. But as somebody who was born and brought up in Stella Maris Street, bottom end, lived away from Malta for 36 years and now reside in Zebbug it makes me want to cry to see what has happened to our once beautiful seaside town. Lower Stella Maris Street disgusts me; it is filthy dirty, potholed, totally neglected and sometimes used as a public latrine. Shame, shame, shame ..... and the traffic situation is diabolical to say nothing of the danger to pedestrians. It is like being on the bumper cars at the Luna Park with everybody going in all directions at once. Those were the days my friend!
George Debono
Aug 20th 2010, 20:06
M Borg
RE "............. We all liked the fairy lights when they were put up, so why complain now ?..."
Sorry - leaving the fairy lights in trees were left there as a pre-election ploy. Very pretty for the few people who like them but a waste of money and PRECIOUS ENERGY to keep them lighted. But a few votes here & there are precious, of course...
G
liz falzon
Aug 20th 2010, 19:17
MBorg. Well he is certainly guilty of having poor judgement when he decided to put up fairy lights when everything else was falling to bits.
MBorg
Aug 20th 2010, 19:56
Really Liz Falzon , that is when you need faries most. They worked ,we all liked them and when they were up it was nice to walk under them We only saw the lights no one complained The faries worked their magic. As usual when someone is down we all have fun making the situation worse.We would not be real Maltese if we did not behave in this manner! That is what everyone is doing now. The problems Sliema has did not crop up now. To be fair most of them have nothing to do with the Council. The police, traffic and unruly students have nothing to do with the council,
Diane Grima
Aug 20th 2010, 20:18
You are the one with poor judgement as the fairy lights project (in which just in case you are not aware, includes a substantial amount of new trees and not just lights as you imply) is part of an embellishment project of all the Sliema promenade extending down to the Sliema ferries...something much needed due to the importance of Sliema to be appealing to tourist vis-a-vis its prominence in this sector, apart from embellishing it for the benefit of the residents...
If you really followed the works carried on in Sliema in the past months, you would notice new kiosks at Ghar-id-Dud, the project at Qui-si-Sana including the beach with better facilities for residents, the resurfaced roads like High Street, Cathedral Street, St Mary Street, much more garbage bins can be seen around....
I don't mean that there is nothing to be done, don't get me wrong...but at least one must give credit to the works done too...whilst admitting that the majority of the complaints forwarded by the SRA are not of Local Council competence or responsibility!!!
r Pace Bonello
Aug 20th 2010, 19:14
Sliema is neglected. Neglected by the non-existent Council as well as by the elected representatives who are only really interested in the residents come election time. Is it not time to get independent councillors elected whose main interest should in the betterment of the locality? The SRA is absolutely correct in mentioning the problems the Residents are facing but it is far from complete. Residents who want to improve the situation have got to make their voices heard. Call the elected representatives, write to the media, blog and join the SRA which needs the numbers to back it up.They are doing a fine job but the numbers will give them a stronger voice. Stop complaining and do something - it's not going to get better.
Peter Gatt
Aug 20th 2010, 22:46
As a matter of fact, SRA has a website....
www.sra.org.mt
and for all residing in Sliema subscription can be made via this site or by post ( SRA, PO box66 Sliema) .
Also, Sliema residents and non Sliema residents can become facebook fans and keep abreast with dates on the website. Just make a google search or search on facebook for 'Sliema residents' Association'.
liz falzon
Aug 20th 2010, 18:46
Diane Grima. You cannot argue that Sliema is absolutely filthy and the council is not to blame! The E 300.00 fairy lights + commission scandal is a downright disgrace and yes, there is 'so much more' the council could have done with those funds. I personally and most other people who pay their taxes indirectly paid towards that project. So, no, on this basis I certainly do not agree with your comment - 'In the end the budget allocated is what it is!!!'
MBorg
Aug 20th 2010, 19:03
Do not blame evrything on the Sliema council. We all liked the fairy lights when they were put up, so why complain now ? The pavements are in a bad shape but I am sure the local government can help out in this. It is also not fair to come to the conclusion that The Mayor is guilty nothing has been proved..
Joe Morana
Aug 20th 2010, 19:06
Regretabbly some readers seem to prefer to limit the scope of the Sliema Local Council, just like the previous Sliema Local Council which in its last public council meeting publicly admitted that its role was simply that of a customer care centre. To the contrary the Sliema Local Council (like any other local council for that matter ) is empowered by the residents' votes not just to be "il- Kunsill tal- bankini " or just to maintian the locality clean, but to voice , represent and take all the necessary actions to the wellbeing and benefit of all Sliema residents. That includes taking the necessary actions and make appropriate representaions and interact with MEPA, Transport Malta, The Police and all other relevant authorties when and as necessary to safeguard residents' rights and legitmate interests . If otherwise its not worth the ballot paper.
Stephen Forster
Aug 20th 2010, 19:35
MBorg....."We all liked the fairy lights" Malta 2010, what a asinine comment to make!
MBorg
Aug 20th 2010, 20:13
@ Stephen Foster
It is often a pastime to drive or walk around the neighbourhood in the evening to see the displayed fairy lights ... USA 2010 My comment wasn't so asinine after all
Diane Grima
Aug 20th 2010, 20:28
I never said that Sliema is not filthy...but is it the council that dirties the place?? There are many dustbins around and yet people still throw garbage all over the place... The council could ensure a better garbage collection service, for sure, but unless people are civilized enough not to keep dirtying the streets it is useless blaming the council for all the mishaps!!! Too easy!!!
The 300,000 fairylights project includes a good number of trees etc required to upgrade the whole promenade and extended to the ferries..something long needed and the "commission scandal" as you call it, is as yet an allegation which to date has stopped at that as nothing has been proved and no charges were filed...
Diane Grima
Aug 20th 2010, 18:04
Like the rest I agree that the negative situation within the council is keeping it from working effectively, however, lets be honest...the most important issues mentioned are not related to the council... attributing these issues to the council's duties is just fooling ourselves in the end... Let us be fair when accusing councillors of failing to keep up to their responsibilities...It is not fair that the SRA misleads people into thinking that certain works or lack of them falls within the council's duties... 1) Overdevelopment problems = MEPA 2) Air pollution?? is the council to blame?? 3) Unruly and uncivilised behaviour of language students - what has the council got to do with this? Either report cases to the police or to the MTA!!! 4) A home for the elderly in Sliema...is this the council's responsibility?? Whilst I do agree that the roads do need maintenance, it should also be noted how many roads have actually been refurbished so far...just to mention a few important ones like High Street, St Mary Street and Cathedral Street...In the end the budget allocated is what it is!!!
Gerard Cassar
Aug 20th 2010, 18:13
Sliema a Nationalist strong hold is having what it deserved, since the residents did not see further than their nose, and thought that under the P.N. it will be heaven on earth. Sliema an aging population can be, rather was manipulated at the P.N. whim.
paul agius
Aug 20th 2010, 18:03
D Grima
Aug 20th 2010, 17:34
No one gets raped for ever.You get raped,hopefully you heal and you carry on.Why are you being such a defeatist?.All it takes for planners and the Government to listen to the people,but then ,on second thoughts,you may be right.I am probably asking for too much.
Emanuel Farrugia
Aug 20th 2010, 19:37
" No one gets raped forever. You get raped, hopefully you will heal and you carry on ". TRUE, but then you would NOT be so stupid, as to marry the person who raped you, just because he says he is sorry.
So if you want change, in two years time, change your voting habits, other wise it will be more of the same, and then who would you blame, Joe Soap ? It would be a sad loss if Sliema is allowed to deteriorate.
axuereb
Aug 20th 2010, 17:34
And who exactly voted for the council members????It s time for Sliema residents (and every where else for that matter) to vote for people on the basis of their integrity, trustworthiness, reliabilty and vision and not just because they belong to 'their' same political party!
D Borg
Aug 20th 2010, 17:08
i agree with all previous comments on the state of sliema, the funny thing is that they mayor decided to put fairylights on the promenade as the priority instead of arranging pavements and taking care of the environment, spending 300,000 E in vain!
George Debono
Aug 20th 2010, 20:01
I agree asolutely - on top of the futility and stupidity of fairy lights - such an embellishment goes against every modern principle of curbing energy use.
Geoffrey Mifsud Farrugia
Aug 20th 2010, 17:04
Quite useless for Sliema residents to complain now. What happened to Sliema and what is happening here is what the residents themselves asked for. They and only they are responsible for the rampant development since they never bothered thinking of the serious repurcussions of their own actions.
The wise once just left years ago. The worse is still to come.
There is only one thing left for Sliema to seal the raped town forever - change the name - nothing close to being a peaceful town - its more like a downtown heavily overpopulated and polluted area.
G. Fenech
Aug 20th 2010, 16:43
This isnt a Sliema only problem. The exact issues are a reality all over the island. This is beyond the duty of the council at this point. If the government doesnt enforce certain regulation, budget for maintenance and repair, plan for traffic and make sure there is need for another 10 floor apartment building, then why should the council? This is simply a case of the apple not falling far from the tree.
Dylan Olliver
Aug 20th 2010, 16:37
All comments are very true including the SRA. If nothing is done by the council, why doesn't the government appoint an interim council that really functions. What Sliema people really want are new pavements, cleaner streets, less noise and dust and the removal of the pigeons that seem to be breeding profusely !!! Forget courses, magazines etc that are only face-savers by the council to justify their existence.
P.Cassar
Aug 20th 2010, 16:29
BAD GOVERNANCE IN THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT
MISMANAGEMENT IN PN LOCAL COUNCILS
MISMANAGEMENT IN GOVT AGENCIES
POOR MALTA
liz falzon
Aug 20th 2010, 16:25
The person who sweeps the streets was seen once this summer. Our road is littered with rubbish, not to mention the stench and cockroaches. Nothing more than a third world country. The lack of interest and irresponsible behaviour of the local council is despicable. But then again, not much money left in the coffer, once its all been spent on fairy lights plus commissions. The SRA should take over the council.
Marie Attard
Aug 20th 2010, 16:19
Tried walking on Sliema Streets?. Never mind looking at the shops,look down and mind the cracked,uneven,slippery pot holed pavements.Check out St Anne's Square and see how in a matter of months the ground looks as if it was put down 30 years ago,dirty and stinking.Take a walk past BOV and Marks & Spencer and see for yourself at least 10 different types of pavement,all within a 300 yard stretch As for street sweepers you occasionally see one floating around, but are the roads ever swept properly?. Are they hell! Check out the bins placed along the seafronts. Comes early evening they are full of rubbish put there by tourists during the day (Maltese use the pavements for their rubbish) to be smelled as you walk past of an evening instead of smelling the pleasant whiff of a sea breeze.
R. Attard
Aug 20th 2010, 16:45
Well said. You should have added the pavement of the Strand,between Pariso Street and Sacro Cuor Street. Is the Sliema Local Council aware that this part of the road is in Sliema? And what about that dirty ATD wooden room which raped the centre of the Strand!
H Dempster
Aug 20th 2010, 15:52
@ J Vercelono . I tend to agree with you.
Jon Vercellono
Aug 20th 2010, 16:15
Read the archives of the Sliema Council Magazine for further substantiation.
Jon Vercellono
Aug 20th 2010, 15:37
I believe that Sliema did have a councillor who was tackling all of the issues - with the residents' best interests in his heart. This is known colloquially as reaping what one sows.