Valletta will have a team of stewards who will be patrolling the capital day and night to ensure that things are in order.

The uniformed stewards will support the work of police, but their role will be to serve as a deterrent to vandalism and other possible illegalities in Valletta.

While no further information was provided on the official roles and duties of the stewards, Times of Malta is informed that their main role is one of surveillance. Amongst other things, the stewards will report on individuals who litter in the capital or establishments that play very loud music.

They form part of the implementation of the Valletta Management Plan, which was announced on Friday.

Culture Minister Owen Bonnici said the first-ever management plan for Valletta had been launched for an eight-week consultation in December to safeguard the capital as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Valletta Management Plan was launched on Friday. Credit: Jonathan Borg

The plan is a requirement set out by UNESCO for all sites listed as World Heritage Sites and seeks to safeguard and enhance all the qualities that make Malta’s capital city a location worthy of being listed as a global cultural heritage.

The plan comes two years after a new law permitted music to be played outdoors in Valletta until 1am, despite residents' complaints and fears that the change would transform the UNESCO World Heritage city into an entertainment hub. 

Residents even claimed that the legal notice is in breach of their fundamental human rights and had threatened to escalate legal action unless the economy minister withdrew the new law.

“This is a big step forward for our capital city,” Bonnici said as he went on to launch the steering committee that is tasked with overseeing the implementation of the management plan.

The committee is chaired by Anthony Gatt,  the permanent secretary within the Tourism Ministry. It includes representatives from the Valletta Local Council, the Valletta Cultural Agency, the Grand Harbour Regeneration Cooperation, the police, the cleansing division, the Malta Tourism Authority and representatives of the culture and tourism ministries.

The committee is also tasked with setting the terms of reference that will be followed by the Valletta stewards.

Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo said Valletta is one of the main tourist attractions of the country.

“Brand Valletta is as strong as Brand Malta and must be taken care of,” he said.

He said that two teams would help with the maintenance of the capital: one was responsible for cleaning and consisted of workers from the cleansing and maintenance division, while the stewards will be patrolling the capital  to monitor the situation.

He said that, according to the management plan, the government will continue investing in the aesthetics of the capital, such as improved signage, and continue to improve the quality of life of locals and the tourism experience.