Watch: Young People Vandalising Bahar Iċ-Ċagħaq Park Raise Concerns Over Neglected Public Space
A video of young people vandalising a park in Bahar Iċ-Ċagħaq has raised alarm among residents over the public space facing major neglect.
Footage sent to Lovin Malta shows one young boy repeatedly kicking a giant OXO board in the playground.
The park is in the heart of Bahar Iċ-Ċagħaq, right in front of the church.
Residents who spoke to Lovin Malta said that vandalism in the park has become regular, raising questions over enforcement in the area.
Images sent to the newsroom show how playground equipment and gates have been heavily damaged, while the rest of the park is in a state of some disrepair.
The young kids have reportedly run riot over the area in the past few weeks and continuously damage parts of the park, no matter how many times repairs are done.
People who have tried to stop them have been sworn at and told to mind their own business.
Residents are planning to take action into their own hands and set up a neighbourhood watch, in hope that some things may change.
Still, many said that the park has regularly been neglected by authorities and had recently fallen into a major state of disrepair.
Trash overflows from garbage cans while footpaths are completely warped. Some repairs, but not all, have been done. And those that have been completed are being destroyed by vandals.
The 1,800-square metre garden and playground was opened in 2012 by then-Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi.
It was built in a previously abandoned field in front of the hamlet’s church.
The project cost a massive €450,000. In the space of a decade, it appears that the money has gone down the drain.
Bahar Iċ-Ċagħaq falls under the Naxxar Local Council. However, it does have its own administrative committee.
Still, as the area continues to face rapid development and population growth, questions should be asked about whether the area needs a little bit more autonomy.
Are public spaces in Malta neglected?