Some years ago, I started a residents page for Valletta on social media not quite certain of the outcome. Today, it stands at over 200 members who access the site every day.

Many Valletta residents are feeling encroached upon by continuous building and development. Respiratory ailments are on the increase, traffic and parking are a nightmare. Bars and restaurants are the focus of both enjoyment and discontent as angry sleep-deprived residents are unlikely to find a solution to their problems.

Leaving home is no easy task and should never have to be an option made under duress. Elderly residents fear the traffic chaos caused by construction. Mothers rightly demand places for the children to play outdoors.

The nearest polyclinic is in Floriana when one in Valletta would be greatly appreciated.

An ageing population will never have the comfort and peace of mind to be near their homes and family as an old people’s home is nowhere in sight in Valletta. All renovations are clearly focused on boutique hotels and residences for tourists.

The community in Valletta should be better taken into consideration. Its needs and concerns are certainly not given priority. We all know it is easy to be entertained but what if a community erodes in the process?

What happened in Sliema has extended to most of the island, including Valletta, the last bastion of what we all Maltese recognise as a symbol of our collective memory and heritage.

Valletta is different. Valletta matters to us all. It certainly should, even to those in denial.

More must be done to ensure our heritage is protected. Some buildings in the capital are irreplaceable and the new owners must be made aware of what is and what is not permissible before Valletta townhouses and palaces are lost amid hasty and thoughtless construction.

More must be done to ensure that the residents’ rights are not taken away right under our noses.