The Planning Authority is to assist the local councils of L-Iklin, Marsa and Żabbar in three embellishment and refurbishment works in their localities.

In L-Iklin, the Planning Authority has agreed to fund embellishment works which will be carried out in Triq il-Wied (the hill from Iklin to Naxxar) and its junctions. The works, which are to cost over €43,000, will include the upgrading of the infrastructure and embellishment of the road, the upgrading of water supply and other existing services together with the installation of new traffic signs.

The PA has also signed an agreement amounting to €33,000 with Żabbar local council to refurbish the existing public restrooms within Ġnien il-Kunsill. The existing restrooms will be replaced with new modern sanitary facilities.

Another agreement was signed with Marsa Local Council to fund the embellishment and upgrading of the public staircase which links Triq Diċembru 13 to Triq San Tumas, which is close to the Marsa Parish Church. The works are estimated to cost over €7,000.

The agreements were signed between the Planning Authority and the mayors of the three local councils. All works are estimated to be ready within a three month period.

Recently, the Planning Authority announced that it was changing its funding schemes with the purpose of amalgamating them into one and widening the scope for utilisation of these funds.

The new funding programme, now known as the Development Planning Fund, is intended to improve upon the former local funding application procedures while give more weighting to the range of proposals that the respective Local Councils may propose for funding.

The new fund will also start to receive a further injection of monies from the fees (20%) the Authority receives through the regularisation application scheme.