Valletta 2020 initiative
I am immensely satisfied to hear of the initiative by City Pro to host a conference on Valletta. Unfortunately, I will not be here on March 20. I have also read with greatest interest the Heritage Society's president's recent proposals with which I...
I am immensely satisfied to hear of the initiative by City Pro to host a conference on Valletta. Unfortunately, I will not be here on March 20. I have also read with greatest interest the Heritage Society's president's recent proposals with which I fully agreed, provided the rehabilitation of the buildings is entrusted to safe hands!
Apart from those major and expensive interventions, I would like to suggest the immediate implementation of the following very economical 10-point programme to show the Maltese public and indeed the world that someone cares.
1. Reduce the pigeon population (dirty flying rats, as Ken Livingstone called them) by prohibiting their feeding and by the distribution of sterilising pellets.
2. Oblige dog owners to remove the pet's excrement from the road.
3. Increase the placement of refuse containers at strategic points and prohibit the leaving of plastic bags on the pavement.
4. Repair the pot-holes at least on the pavements.
5. Remodel the two public lavatories at Republic/St John's and Republic/Old Theatre streets and prohibit the medieval washing out of liquids into the street.
6. Remove the refuse and abandoned wrecked cars from the Marsamxett seafront road and prohibit the auto repair shops from continuing to dump them there.
7. Prune, weed and replace when necessary the olive and other trees in the following areas:
a) St Barbara's Bastions to Triq Il-Mediterran by the Lower Barrakka Gardens;
b) In front of the War Museum, Spur Street;
c) Fountain Street - Sur tal-Francizi, St Sebastian Street to Auberge de Baviere and the Gunpost Bar;
d) In front of the House of Catalunya - Marsamxett Street;
e) Between the sewage pumping station, under the Floriana bastions (itself a disgrace) and Great Siege Road;
f) on the left along the Valletta ditch (Yellow Garage Road); and
g) up to the parking area under the City Gate Bridge.
There is also an incredible accumulation to filth here and waste liquids from broken pipes cascading down the beautiful stone walls (not to mention the poor dogs!).
8. Replace the decrepit and unsightly wire netting enclosing St Elmo with a proper fence.
9. Cause to be removed the obnoxious yellow plastic banner above the restaurant defacing the façade of St George's Square.
10. Clean up Freedom Square and make the Opera House ruins into a garden pending other decisions.