St Paul’s Bay needs real improvements

The embellishment of the St Paul’s Bay promenade was officially launched a few weeks ago. It was funded jointly by the European Union, the Malta Tourism Authority and local council funds.

This was an initiative that had the support of the Labour Party. The investment was made in an area that welcomes 30 per cent of the visitors to our country and enhances the quality of life of permanent residents in the area.

Yet this enhancement contrasts sharply with the state of the core of St Paul’s Bay that has lacked any important kind of investment, leaving this residential area with long-standing problems and a sense of decay that has no answers from a local council led by a Nationalist Party majority that seems to lack energy and will to try to lift the residential role above its current state of utter mediocrity.

Poor quality roads and a lack of parking facilities are two of the more pressing issues felt by residents. It is only now that a local election looms, that occasional works are being undertaken in this long-abandoned area.

Irrespective of electoral considerations that may spur these on, the Labour Party welcomes the intended improvements that should benefit the long-suffering residents of the streets being repaired.

Yet the opportunistic reasons underpinning the taking in hand of these works is unfortunately being translated into works undertaken in a stop-start fashion. Works stop completely for weeks on end to much inconvenience to the residents. This goes to show the slipshod approach and lack of proper planning, begging a series of questions. Are these lengthy stoppages the result of the local council having to face the bureaucratic spleen of central government?

Why leave works unattended for weeks on end, rendering the site dangerous to both residents and drivers?

The Labour Party welcomes all efforts to improve the locality. It is however obvious that the locality calls for an efficient administration that can implement initiatives with the efficiency that can bring about real improvements for the benefit of a long-suffering resident population.