Marsascala playing fields being upgraded

Alex Ciantar (The Sunday Times, October 10) wrote that the Marsascala playing fields are in a very sorry state and that their equipment is antiquated and dangerous to users.

I thank Mr Ciantar for drawing the local council’s attention to this state of affairs. Indeed I encourage all residents to note whatever is wrong in our locality so that we will do our best to take action.

However, Mr Ciantar generalised when he included in his criticism all the Marsascala playing fields. He referred to them in the plural when it was clear he was complaining about the main one, which is in Misraħ Mifsud Bonnici.

He should know that we have three other playing fields in a much better state than the one he referred to. One of them, in St Thomas Bay, was inaugurated a month ago – on September 6, Marsascala Day.

I would like to assure Mr Ciantar that our council has already taken steps to upgrade the central playground and to change all the equipment because as he himself noted, it is not only broken and outdated, but also a hazard to users.

In fact, plans have already been drawn up and funds allocated to begin the reconstruction, modernisation and re-equipping of the playground according to EU safety regulations.

However, I would also like to say that some children vandalised both the garden and the equipment.

This is a running sore because we know that as soon as the playing field is refurbished, the vandalism will continue and it is obvious that the council has to find ways and means to prevent this.

I also think Mr Ciantar must have sent this letter to you more than three weeks ago, since all broken equipment was removed around that time.

Another misapprehension of Mr Ciantar which I would like to correct is his claim that a water bowser used to enter the playing field to wash it, and now this has stopped.

Water bowsers never entered the field for the simple reason that it is physically impossible for heavy vehicles to enter, drive and operate in the park.

A water bowser is only in Marsascala every other week to wash the promenade.

Mr Ciantar also complained that bars and restaurants are taking over public land by putting up tables and chairs on the field.

This is now impossible as benches have been fixed so as to cordon off the bars and restaurants from the field itself so that they cannot display tables beyond their legal limits.

As to his suggestion that these outlets should finance the park’s upkeep, that would be ideal if it could be put into practice.

Unfortunately it cannot be implemented as it is not the outlets’ responsibility to underwrite the running expenses of such playing fields. Local council regulations forbid us to ask for such financial assistance from private business.

Mr Ciantar also compared our playing fields with that of Munxar. Comparisons are odious and he should have never compared Marsascala, a locality of over 10,000 residents, and another 10,000 summer residents and more thousands of visiting holidaymakers with a small Gozitan village of a couple of thousand people.

It is clear that the requirements and problems of the two localities are miles apart.

But Mr Ciantar can rest assured that the councillor responsible for parks, Lawrence Ciantar, and myself have made the upgrading of our playing fields our first priority. We are also attending a presentation in this regard.

Your correspondent can put his mind at rest since with the approval of all councillors, the homework is being done well.