The Planning Authority has signed an agreement with the St. Julian’s Local Council for the ring-fencing of half a million euro for four embellishment projects in the locality.
This was announced by Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning Aaron Farrugia who explained that Government will carry on with its plans for urban greening and the creation of more open spaces. “We are working to improve the urban areas around Malta – mainly the places where families live and work. We aim to significantly improve the quality of life of residents by creating new recreational zones from previously disused areas,” Minister Farrugia said.
These interventions are:
- The embellishment of the school entrance in Lapsi Street. Committed amount: €120,000
- The embellishment of a recreational area, including the construction of a reservoir used for irrigation in Ġnien Saverju Zarb. Committed amount: €243,000
- The installation of a proposed open-air gym. Committed amount: €46,200
- The embellishment of a public spaces in St. Michael Street. Committed amount: €121,000
Perit Frans Mallia, Assistant Director at the PA, said the new DPF applications introduced the concept of ring-fencing. In this way, the PA will be committing itself to fund these four projects. “The innovative idea behind such applications is that local councils can put their mind at rest about the availability of their funds prior to the signing of the final contract. The main benefit of such a change is that local councils can manage better in cases where they have more than one pending project,” Mr Mallia added.
“The intention behind these four projects is to create more open spaces in our locality – a locality which is predominantly urbanised. Such initiatives help local councils to better our residents’ quality of life and create more public spaces,” Mayor Albert Buttigieg said.
The Minister explained that together with this initiative, and other reforms such as the greening of the DPF, a number of other projects are being undertaken to embellish urban areas in our country. A few weeks ago the Minister also launched the ‘Green your Home’, scheme funded by the Planning Authority which will allow residents to green their façades, with a total investment of €2 million.
Minister Farrugia had announced an investment for the longest green wall in Malta at the Marsa-Ħamrun bypass. This will be the size of three football stadiums and will serve as potential ecological stepping-stones for insects and pollinators between rural and urban environments, reduce noise pollution, contribute to cooler micro-climates, reduce air pollution, and improve the experience of those who live and work in urban areas. Various localities around Malta will host a number of major projects involving the creation of green and blue infrastructure in the near future.
