I’ve been coming to Gozo every year for a long time now, and in my opinion it’s like heaven on earth. I lost the rose-coloured glasses a long time ago and realise that like everywhere else on earth it has its faults and its problems but when you love a place the way I do you try to accept those things.

I’ve been watching the process of the resurfacing of the square in front of the church in Qala and have to say a really good job was carried out there, but as usual it has not been without its problems.

The first problem arose when the Qala mayor decided that the trees should be removed. I think the excuse given was that birds roosted in the trees and did their business on the benches below; a problem, by the way, that is easily solved by providing the benches with covers, as has been done elsewhere.

Another excuse is that the roots damage pavements and water pipes. Back home here we have oak trees and chestnut trees growing beside pavements and they damage nothing. Anyway, the trees survived this time apart from the two palms.

Now I’ve heard that he wants to close the square off and stop cars from using it in case they dirty the new surface. That’s like spending good money on an expensive umbrella and then not taking it out in case it gets wet!

As far as I know, the square belongs to the church, so does the mayor have a problem with the church or does he just want to stir things up for the people of Qala? If it’s the latter, what exactly is his agenda? Perhaps the mayor can also explain where the benches from the square have disappeared to? From what I have heard there was not a single bench available during the festa.

Was the council ordered to remove them, and if so, why? If this is not the case, were they stolen, and if so, has a report been made to the police?

If I remember rightly, the mayor was saying before this work took place that once it was finished cars would be allowed back onto the square as normal, so why has he now changed his mind?

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