A public consultation process on a strategy for Valletta (see pdf link below) was launched this morning by the head of the civil service.

The aim of the strategy is to maximise benefits for Valletta residents, the business community, employees working in Valletta and tourists while serving to protect the world heritage city's universal value.

Addressing a news conference, civil service head Mario Cutajar said the government regularly received proposals from the public regarding Valletta.

He noted that the population of the city was getting old with the average age being 44 against the country’s 35.

There were 2,600 private businesses which employed 9,000 people and 74 per cent of properties were rented out.

The government, he said, aimed to take a 50,000 square metre zone - the Old Abattoir area - and study means to regenerate it.

The government would be seeing how to best utilise its buildings and see how it could incentivise the private sector to do the same.

It was announced last year that this area was to receive a €7.5m makeover transforming it into an international design hub.

The plan was to retain the characteristics of the area but bring it to life. This would be a good time to do this seeing that this year was the 450^th anniversary of the city, Malta would have the EU Presidency next year and the V18 was in 2018.

The implementation of such a strategy would be an ideal legacy to leave for future generations, Mr Cutajar said.

Planning Authority CEO Johann Buttigieg underlined the importance of protecting heritage. When it came to planning, he said, one had to consider the context but one could not place Valletta in a conservatory.

The strategy, he said, was being drawn up in consultation with Unesco. The PA was in charge of its implementation in collaboration with others, including the council.