Philip Andrew Ransley, Sliema
Sliema Ferries embellishment a must!
I read with interest Angelo Xuereb’s proposal for the Sliema Ferries (October 11). I also would add to his proposal a first-class boat terminal to take passengers to Valletta and back.
Mr Xuereb, although not from Sliema, has the island’s interest at heart. I believe that the Sliema council should do what it can to make Mr Xuereb’s proposal happen. It would be a major project for the council and, in order to get the ball rolling, it should be taken over from the government’s hands.
The Finance Minister would have to allocate the required funds under the hat “Special Council Project” and channel them to the council. In turn, the Sliema council would have to set up a subcommittee of eight (chairman, council mayor, having a casting vote); three council members (represented by the two parties and one independent); and four co-opted Sliema resident members (architect, NGO, Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association member, resident) specifically for this project.
Whether the Sliema council has the right to take over such a project should not be an issue as this is a Sliema thing. The Sliema mayor must put pressure on the government and if it’s not allowable by law, council rules should be quickly amended and passed through Parliament. Where there is a will there is a way.
If any Sliema resident feels like me, then let us start a pressure group to embellish our town. We must not let this project be put on ice.
Sliema residents please do not forget what happened to our Għar id-Dud chalet. Such a fine piece of work, gone with the wind – the result, an ugly piece of cemented floor.
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Pule' Carmel
Oct 25th 2011, 23:50
"Mr Xuereb, although not from Sliema, has the island’s interest at heart." I believe Mr Xuereb is a contractor and Sliema would have been much better off if the contractors did not move in with their machines. Contractors KILLED Sliema. while architects writing/ building LOVE upside down near Sliema, describes exactly the type of love they have for that district, poor residents.
Henry S. Pace
Oct 25th 2011, 15:42
'Mr Xuereb, although not from Sliema, has the island’s interest at heart '
Did Mr Xuereb when wriiting in The Times(Oct 10) consider the sea currents. I was born and bred in Sliema in the Ferries area. The forefront was lowered in the 70's and sea water come onto the road flooding the roads when the tide is somewhat high. This flooding never occured before the widening of the Ferries. It is said the Minister GMr Xuereb, although not from Sliema, has the island’s interest at heartullicino has the plans to upgrade this area however up to now he kept them to his chest without no knowledge of would it would look like when the project is launched.
Though I am not a qualified person, I am of the opinion that the roads should be on the outer side of the Ferries and a pedestrian area is upgraded on the other side.
Antoine Musu
Oct 25th 2011, 15:24
May have been distant, but Malta and Sliema are never forgotten!
Maybe we should allow people with an ambition and a vision for the benefit of the community be heard in genuine fairness. Does the Council have the courage to do this?
John Meli
Oct 25th 2011, 15:14
The introduction of yacht marina's in our ports is too dangerous, first and foremost would endangers all sort of water-life forms of any port area, just because:
1) It eliminates all marine life form or biota and the destruction of all ecological marine communities that live and breed in such particular area due to pollution of more boats than the present time, while they are coming in and out or when their engines are started.
2) All sea life formation will be endangered due to the discharge of diesel, petrol, paints etc., including all sort of unwanted waist coming out undetected by the human eyes from crafts as it often happens in the Msida and Ta' Xbiex Yacht Marina as no one checks these abuses and especially during early mooring stages and manoeuvrings out of pontoons.
3) The coastline contains various cemented and intertwined loosely coiled shells of gastropods (snails) and worms, which are embedded in these coralline algae; now they would be endangered and all existence of marine life will be endangered when this project gets it go ahead, besides that the port is made further smaller.
4) The mainland part is important for natural breeding. Otherwise one can affect individual fish breeding directly by disturbing normal activities such as nesting, spawning or feeding; or from increasing our fish stocks, these includes lacci; argu, mullet; accola; awrata; cawla; cerna; dott abjad/jew tal-faxxi; hazir tal fond, makku, vopi etc.
5) If one looks under the seabed under the material one could also discover old historical cannons as this was an important berth site of old sailing ships that had an old naval history.
6) The area has a lot of vegetation and other life form such as the natural breeding/spawning of small shrimps, works, squids, octopus, and others, these will be destroyed for ever and it takes years and years to breed more in this area only.
7) The area is very close to the residential area (25m), subject to the worst winds coming from (Manoel Island point of Lazzaretto creek; the north wind. This makes big yachts impossible to be steady and unprotected, thus making a banging noise through their mast ropes/wires when the wind is heavy, producing horrible noises that won’t let residents sleep at night. Just watch the temporary yachts that berth opposite the Church and the Old Water Distillation plant of Sliema.
For these reasons, in my opinion with the amount of parking spaces as projected and as designed they are too close for drivers to manage in and out of parking spaces as indicated in this project.
Furthermore, the designer failed to include the spaces where bus terminus and the Tourist Terminus of the Hop-on and Hop-off where they could be parked. Besides the design had not taken into consideration the bus lane which is needed for buses.
It also looks from this design that Tower Road from near the former Alambra Flats or Sliema Wanders FC will be also turned into a pedestrian zone and would make bus trips towards St. Julians and other area's much longer trip than that of the present service by ten minutes and even more.....
Joe Diacono
Oct 25th 2011, 13:25
A great idea, however with all due respect to our Sliema local Council too much water has now gone under the bridge with all the mud slinging, and unjust comments, and actions in some cases.
All that I would like to add is that the Midi project had promised a breakwater so as to have the much needed pontoons installed. This would overhaul the whole of Marsamxett and make it more of a safer berth.
John Meli
Oct 25th 2011, 13:07
The introduction of yacht marina's in our ports is too dangerous, first and foremost would endangers all sort of water-life forms of any port area, just because:
1) It eliminates all marine life form or biota and the destruction of all ecological marine communities that live and breed in such particular area due to pollution of more boats than the present time, while they are coming in and out or when their engines are started.
2) All sea life formation will be endangered due to the discharge of diesel, petrol, paints etc., including all sort of unwanted waist coming out undetected by the human eyes from crafts as it often happens in the Msida and Ta' Xbiex Yacht Marina as no one checks these abuses and especially during early mooring stages and manoeuvrings out of pontoons.
3) The coastline contains various cemented and intertwined loosely coiled shells of gastropods (snails) and worms, which are embedded in these coralline algae; now they would be endangered and all existence of marine life will be endangered when this project gets it go ahead, besides that the port is made further smaller.
4) The mainland part is important for natural breeding. Otherwise one can affect individual fish breeding directly by disturbing normal activities such as nesting, spawning or feeding; or from increasing our fish stocks, these includes lacci; argu, mullet; accola; awrata; cawla; cerna; dott abjad/jew tal-faxxi; hazir tal fond, makku, vopi etc.
5) If one looks under the seabed under the material one could also discover old historical cannons as this was an important berth site of old sailing ships that had an old naval history.
6) The area has a lot of vegetation and other life form such as the natural breeding/spawning of small shrimps, works, squids, octopus, and others, these will be destroyed for ever and it takes years and years to breed more in this area only.
7) The area is very close to the residential area (25m), subject to the worst winds coming from (Manoel Island point of Lazzaretto creek; the north wind. This makes big yachts impossible to be steady and unprotected, thus making a banging noise through their mast ropes/wires when the wind is heavy, producing horrible noises that won’t let residents sleep at night. Just watch the temporary yachts that berth opposite the Church and the Old Water Distillation plant of Sliema.
For these reasons, in my opinion with the amount of parking spaces as projected and as designed they are too close for drivers to manage in and out of parking spaces as indicated in this project.
Furthermore, the designer failed to include the spaces where bus terminus and the Tourist Terminus of the Hop-on and Hop-off where they could be parked. Besides the design had not taken into consideration the bus lane which is needed for buses.
It also looks from this design that Tower Road from near the former Alambra Flats or Sliema Wanders FC will be also turned into a pedestrian zone and would make bus trips towards St. Julians and other area's much longer trip than that of the present service by ten minutes and even more.....
Hamish Dempster
Oct 25th 2011, 12:08
My dear Philip, to do what you are suggesting , you need a good local counsil which has guts.