A previously inaccessible area of Romeo Romano Gardens is now open to the public following renovation works which will total €1.7 million, Environment Minister Miriam Dalli said on Wednesday. 

The 4,000 square metres section of the Santa Venera garden now features a children’s play area, restored walls and freshly planted greenery. Citrus trees that were previously on site have been retained. 

“We took care to use materials such as wood to complement the existing character of this garden, limiting the use of plastic as much as possible,” WasteServ CEO Richard Bilocca said.

GreenServ, an extension of WasteServ, led the project, restoring the walls to protect the garden’s heritage while renovating the flooring to make the walking experience more comfortable. 

The regenerated garden is home to several historical features, including a water mill dating back to the 19th century.

The renovations also include the new play area for children – built with sustainable materials such as wood and mulch – the cleaning and restoration of the reservoir (which will be used to sustain the greenery), two wooden decks and 25 new citrus trees along with the ones that were already there.

Whenever possible, the sourced wood was reused rather than bought new and some 40% of the natural material used in the project is recycled.

The garden also focuses on inclusivity and the space is autism- and ADHD-friendly, Dalli said.

She said this is the eighth garden the government has invested in and completed this year.

“Our plan is to continue investing in changing our urban areas,” Dalli said.

The second phase of works will see the renovation of the adjacent building known as ir-Razzet, a project that was in the controversial spotlight when there had been plans were to convert the Grade 1 protected building into a restaurant.

Plans were eventually changed and the building will now be converted into an educational centre for Ekoskola students and the public.

“Our plan is to keep adding to these types of investments so we can keep creating green spaces in all of our localities,” Dalli said.

"We believe that such projects are improving quality of life in our localities while offering families new spaces for relaxation and recreation close to their homes and workplaces."