In an overbuilt island most families will always find it difficult to find open spaces that offer adequate recreational facilities where to pass some time relaxing without spending a fortune.

Children need open spaces where they can play in a safe environment under the watchful eye of their parents or school teachers. Many homes and schools simply do not have such facilities. Also, older people need to spend time in the open.

So the announcement by Environment Minister Leo Brincat that the Marsascala Family Park will be “commercialised” is good news for families who enjoy relaxing in pleasant public facilities.

Some may argue that public spaces should not be rented out to private contractors, as the use of such spaces should remain free for the general public.

Occasionally heated arguments erupt over whether the government should continue to grant concessions to operators that provide beach furniture to those wanting to use the beach without carrying their own sun beds and umbrellas.

While the public should have the right to use public land freely, including our limited beaches, some argue that the extra facilities provided by private contractors are in fact a service that one should be prepared to pay for.

When the Marsascala Family Park was inaugurated before the last election, the government promised it would benefit families, especially those living in the south of Malta, as they could enjoy well-organised and maintained recreational facilities for free.

Of course, in life nothing comes for free.

It soon became clear that such a park needed regular maintenance if it was to serve its purpose as an attractive and safe family entertainment venue. A time when fiscal constraints were increasingly cutting down on maintenance costs left this park in a pitiable state that was certainly not safe for family recreation.

Any plan that involves the private sector in the upkeep of public places used for social purposes should be welcome, especially as it relieves taxpayers from having to finance significant maintenance costs.

Renting out part of the Marsascala Family Park to private operators interested in providing catering services, enhanced entertainment facilities and open air organised events is a positive move that should favour the common good of society.

One caveat that the government needs to heed is that proper controls should be in place not to let the commercial interests of private operators granted concessions on public land stifle the legitimate rights of the public that uses these facilities. The concession agreements should clearly specify how the general public’s interests of accessibility, fair pricing of services and safety are guaranteed.

It would be a good idea for these public places targeted for commercialisation to have a management committee in which representatives of the public, the Land Department as well as those private operators granted commercial concessions can manage these places efficiently and in the best interests of all concerned.

This would ensure the management is ‘owned’ by the various stakeholders.

It is important that this pilot project is followed closely by the Marsascala council and resident associations to ensure that the objectives of this “commercialisation” concept are achieved.

If this project succeeds, it could serve as a model for other projects where public land that is currently underutilised or abandoned is used for social purposes with the help of the private sector.