Without any consultation with the local community or consideration of the village’s requirements, the government has started clearing the only remaining central sizeable tract of land in the Siġġiewi development zone for the construction of two huge blocks of social housing.

Although the need for social housing is commonly acknowledged, the Housing Authority’s chief executive officer says that “The European experience as well as our own shows that building more housing estates is not, by itself, a sustainable solution... It is a case where supply creates its own demand...” (Talking Point, August 3).

There are two government-built housing estates on the same side of the village, separated by a distance of about a kilometre. In between, there is also a privately-built block, which is mostly let to people whose rent is subsidised by the government.

The government is preparing to build two large blocks, situated about 200 metres away from the school, in the same area of the village. There is also another application, approved in April 2017, for yet another huge block of social housing adjacent to an already-existing one and within the one-kilometre distance mentioned above.

A large portion of the village will be dedicated to social housing

Once these projects are completed, it is interesting to note that a large portion of the village will actually be dedicated to social housing. What is even more interesting is that, historically, very few local residents have required social housing. Therefore, every time a social housing project is completed, only a few locals will benefit from it and many more will be left to face challenges such as more traffic and bigger parking problems.

No consideration has been given to the needs of the present residents and the fact that the ageing population is being forced out of the area where they spent the bulk, if not all, of their life.

The Siġġiewi primary school also lies on the same side of the village as all these social housing units and is already full to bursting with over 450 pupils. Where will the children of the families moving into the new blocks attend school? Will they play in the already crowded playground further down the road?

Going back to the project under way, a spokeswoman for the Ministry for the Family, Children’s Rights and Social Solidarity (August 8) talks about a day centre, a childcare centre and sheltered housing.

According to current plans, there does not appear to be a separate day centre but simply 18 serviced units for the elderly.

The childcare centre will cater for up to 20 children and will probably not even satisfy the needs of the families to be housed in the new blocks, let alone supply more places for children who already live in the village.

There are no public landscaped open areas. In fact, the only open spaces are the pavements alongside the internal roads that appear to have some trees inserted adjacent to third-party walls and a ramp from the lower internal dead end road to the upper internal road. Nothing to encourage local residents to stroll through or provide a pleasant outdoor space.

There is much disappointment among the local community who had long been promised that the site would provide much-needed community facilities for the elderly, childcare and open spaces. Local clubs and organisations were also hoping to have some areas available for their use.

Gillian Vella has lived in Siġġiewi all her life.