Living in St Paul’s Bay since the day I was born, every day I could note the changes in this locality. These changes happened at a faster rate over the recent years. In my opinion, it was obvious that St Paul’s Bay was the largest locality in Malta and Gozo, this being deduced from the fact that it had a very large official population, spread over a large area. Added to this are a number of unregistered residents, who spend days, weeks or months living in the locality, for various reasons.

The last official estimated figures show a drastic change in the population of St Paul’s Bay. What was a seaside resort of a few thousands, known for its touristic aspect in the summer period, has now changed to a locality with the largest population and though still known for its touristic aspect, it is now also the residence of thousands of families and individuals.

The number of people living in St Paul’s Bay, in fact, now stands at 26,133, meaning  more than five per cent of Malta’s population.

The average population, if one had to consider the 68 localities in Malta and Gozo, results to be 6,995 per locality and, hence, St Paul’s Bay’s population is nearly four times the average size of other localities in Malta.

Though the official figure is 26,133, I am certain the actual number is even larger, considering the nature of the locality.

This figure means that, since 2015, while the island’s population as a whole grew by eight per cent, St Paul’s Bay’s increased by 26 per cent, that is by more than three times the national rate.

Sadly, I saythere is no real sense of community life

For the past few years, St Paul’s Bay’s population has increased annually.

In just one year, between 2017 and 2018, the population increased by 3,000. There is no indication that this rate of increase will go down, at least for the immediate future. There are hundreds of apartments that are being built, most of which are being inhabited over the whole year.

These figures are quite astounding.

As I had the opportunity to emphasise on several occasions, this fact on its own is a source of concern for anyone living there but more so to anyone who is directly or indirectly involved in the administration of the locality.

The larger the population, the more difficult it becomes to manage the place. Added to this is the complexity of this locality, with different residents having different social realities, cultures and nationalities, living in the same block of apartments or working together.

Moreover, the locality has now become a mix of residents and tourists, with several of them living on top of a bar or a restaurant, with all the challenges this may bring.

I am quite sure that one of the biggest challenges relate to the way in which integration takes place. Sadly, I say there is no real sense of community life in our area, that community life I was accustomed to in my childhood days.

Communicating the right information is also a challenge. In such a big locality, where, often, one is not aware of what is happening on the other side of town, one can easily spread the wrong information, for personal interests, surely not those of enriching the locality.

But, the real question is: what measures have been put in place to cater for such a change? Are the residents being protected? Do the residents feel safe living here?

Such questions can easily be answered by visiting the locality. It is high time that the central government caters for the needed change and draws up a programme to help the residents get back a sense of safety and to help this locality survive properly.

Graziella Galea is a former mayor of St Paul’s Bay.

This is a Times of Malta print opinion piece