Tourism Minister Announces Regeneration Committee For His District Town Of St Paul’s Bay
St Paul’s Bay, Malta’s largest town, is set for a regeneration, with Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo stating residents deserve a better quality of life.
“The people have spoken and the government is responding,” Bartolo, who contests on the 12th district, which includes St Paul’s Bay, told a press conference this morning.
“The days of coming here and complaining about the state of St Paul’s Bay or of saying how much better it can be must come to an end, and we must seriously look at beautifying the town as it deserves.”
To this end, the Malta Tourism Authority will set up a committee focused on regenerating St Paul’s Bay, which will consult with stakeholders before drafting a plan.
Bartolo said that improving security, reducing crime and improving traffic management will be at the top of the committee’s agenda, while other issues such as parking, public transport, competitiveness, multiculturalism and integration, waste management, sports and public spaces will also be addressed.
The committee will also be tasked with setting up key performance indicators to ensure the plan is put into action.
St Paul’s Bay mayor Alfred Grima welcomed the plan but called out the lack of investment and planning that took place in the town over the years.
“I’m not revealing any big secret by saying that development took place without a plan, resulting in the Babylon we can see today,” he said.
“Unfortunately, our locality has been sidelined for many years when it comes to capital investment to improve our infrastructure. Besides the Coast Road resurfacing of 2017 and private investment, pretty much nothing has happened.”
“The last serious investment was way back in 1997, which means an entire generation of youths grew up without seeing any investment in their town.”
“What we saw was management of crisis, with sporadic interventions, often when it’s too late. I welcome this announcement by Clayton Bartolo, who was quick to meet us and help us find a solution.”
How should St Paul’s Bay be regenerated?
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