It is high time that a decision is taken to split St Paul’s Bay local council, which is the biggest council in Malta and create two separate councils. Over the many years that this council has been in existence it has been proven that the area is far too vast to be manageable by one council.

The residents, the visitors and locality in general are the ones constantly suffering these poor standards of service, year after year, season after season.

What is supposed to be the area’s jewel in the crown, namely the Qawra promenade, is in such a poor state of maintenance that it shames us all, including those businesses who invested in this area to upgrade their properties and surroundings.

The council invested in new shrubs and expensive tubs only to let them die as they were not watered. However, we are now told that the council is seeking the services of a new contractor to control the weeds and hedges along the area, this in the knowledge that by the time this tender is issued and works given, we then might as well not bother as the hot weather would have burnt them out anyway.

Aided by EU funds we also invested in a set of five high-tech tourist information centres at a cost of €20,000 each. Although these were purchased some years ago, they have never worked and have been left to rust. There are also the broken and dirty rubbish bins, missing dog poo bins and unmarked waste separation bins.

This general state of neglect seems to be the order of the day.

Unfortunately the recent delay caused by the much desired replacement of the mayor has exacerbated the situation tenfold and we are now all suffering due to the Court’s action and bickering that went on for months on end.

There could be no better time and reason as to why Qawra and Buġibba should not be hived off, thus allowing St Paul’s Bay council to service the remainder of this district which in itself is no mean feat bearing in mind the distances which exist between each locality.