The developers who were going to build some monstrosity close to Ġgantija Temples have suspended their plans. We, idiot dwellers of this happy land, should stop, stare in amazement and sing their praises.

Thank you, developers, as always happens here in Malta, you have been magnanimous. We bow in amazement that these so-called developers, the ravagers and rapists of our land, have done something worthwhile.

If the legendary giants who built Ġgantija still roamed, the developers and their facilitators would not be here to be thanked. The giants would have long exiled the developers and their sidekick, the Planning Authority.

I have no clue who heads the PA or what sort of god or aesthetics they believe in.

But now, please, hold your breath and read what the PA’s website says:

“Vision:

“Making Malta and Gozo a more pleasant and desirable place to live in.

“Mission:

“Acting on behalf of the community to provide a balanced and sustainable environment. We endeavour to provide a better quality of life for the community through transparent and fair planning services, today and tomorrow.”

Either they have no idea what vision is or their mission is actually to pulverise the island, let all madness rule and produce an island deprived of anything worth saving.

All that was worth saving or protecting is being razed to the ground. Streetscapes are fast becoming sad, dark tunnels of cubicles and ugliness.

The façade of an art deco building in Sliema is being left to linger while above it a few horrendous storeys are going to be added. However, in this tragic tale. what is more impressive is not that the building is being developed, or that the PA has issued a permit. It’s how the PA defended the development permit.

We are, the PA intoned, saving the façade. If these are our planners, what sort of destruction do the destroyers wreak?

This happens, practically, on a daily basis.

Recently – again “let us rejoice for the gods are on the side of sanity”, the authorities seem to cry – an enforcement notice was served on a kiosk in Sliema which took over the pavement, replaced the tiles and left little space for pedestrians.

The restaurant in question is definitely worthy of being razed to the ground and some space given back to pedestrians. But, if this is done, then it should be done to hundreds more all over the island.

Try walking everywhere on promenades or any patch where restaurants, cafes and kiosks take over the pavement, the street and anywhere they can plonk tables, chairs, advert hoardings and their paraphernalia. Shouldn’t the authorities, once they are doing this to one specific establishment, extend it to the rest?

If these are our planners, what sort of destruction do the destroyers wreak?- Victor Calleja

A bit further up from the eatery that is going to be forced to clear its tables and space, a bunch of businesspeople developed a lido and various restaurants. Next to this abomination is a statue which was placed there by the developers. It’s hideous and wrong. But it was actually unveiled by our prime minister.

That the statue, or whatever it is, is a horror is not relevant. Malta loves, it seems, all things that are unattractive and not artistic. The lido, the madness of it all, is definitely not right. There was enough noise, garbage and insanity in that area without it.

Yet, the prime minister and his coterie are happy to go and officially open the lido and unveil the silly statue. We should all be happy we have such great leaders.

The PA has, in its infinite idiocy, just given the green light to yet another hotel in Gżira. The madness of it all is beyond belief.

Then, in St Julian’s, a building by Richard England has been earmarked to be demolished and developed into a 10-storey hotel.

According to tourism experts, Malta needs a staggering 4.7 million tourists a year to make it worthwhile for owners of accommodation. Yet, we go on adding rooms, hotels and usurping more space from our country.

St Julian’s is a stretch of land which is overbuilt, over-congested, filthy and looking more and more like a war-zone with favelas to add colour and spice.

Still, the planners sing their own songs of praise.

Our land will soon not be fit for living. Maybe our developers, politicians and planners reason that, once Malta is totally ruined, giants will return to rebuild it all.