A public garden in Żebbuġ has been given €200,000 facelift financed in part through the Planning Authority’s Development Planning Fund.

The garden, inaugurated on Monday as Ġnien it-Tfulija, has been embellished with exercise equipment, a new lighting system, benches and a gazebo. CCTV cameras have also been added.

The PA fund is made up of contributions developers must pay when undertaking construction projects. So far this year, €1 million from the fund has been used to enhance 17 public gardens in 10 towns and villages, Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg said.

Dr Borg said a further €27 million in funds were available for councils to use and urged them to make use of all the funds.

The minister was joined by Żebbuġ mayor Sarah Agius Saliba and parliamentary secretary Silvio Parnis.

Mr Parnis said that local councils had submitted 85 proposals to receive funding, with 32 of those approved – 28 in Malta and four in Gozo. Just over €2.5m had been allocated in the first tranche of funding and 18 projects had already been completed, with most of the rest scheduled for completion within the next six months.

Mayor Agius Saliba thanked Dr Borg and Mr Parnis for their support.

Photo: DOI/Jeremy Wonnacott