The Planning Authority has handed Fgura council €600,000 to enable it to complete a long-delayed civic centre.

The 12,000 Fgura residents have been waiting for the new centre for 15 years, ever since a property was bought for conversion.  

Fgura Mayor Pierre Dalli said at a press conference that the new building, which is being completed with the funds from the PA's Development Planning Fund, will be accessible for all residents and allow the local council to provide services that are currently limited because of lack of space.

The civic centre will include an underground 14-place visitors' car parking area, a space allocated for workshops, a classroom and a hall for social activities.

One floor will also be rented out to the Foundation for Social Welfare Services, which will be providing services to the residents in the area.

Former mayor Byron Camilleri, now a Labour MP, told Times of Malta that the council had bought two houses back in 2003, earmarked for a new civic centre. The purchase, demolition and building of the new place cost some €1.5 million.

At the moment, the council rents out space for its offices and storage, which are not accessible to all.

Fgura Mayor Pierre Dalli. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Addressing the same conference, Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg encouraged local councils to apply for funds under the Planning Authority’s development fund, which still had some €27 million up for grabs.

Until a few months ago, local councils had to take care of roadworks as well, however, this responsibility now fell within the new Infrastructure Malta remit, he said, adding that councils could therefore focus more on developing public spaces for the benefit of the community.

The Development Planning Fund was set up in January of 2017. It assists local councils, NGOs, government agencies and any interested party to carry out small and large projects within a locality that can enhance the quality of life of the community.

This fund sees its financing coming from 70 per cent of the mandatory contribution developers have to pay to compensate for when they do not provide car parking spaces within their development. Additionally, another 20 per cent of the revenue is generated through applications for development regularisation.