[WATCH] Major maintenance works to begin at picturesque Ghar Lapsi bay

Major maintenance works at Ghar Lapsi

Major maintenance works are set to begin at Ghar Lapsi this summer after the government agreed to step in to help the Siggiewi local council.

The ramp leading down to the picturesque bay will be repaved, while the old ladders, railings, benches and warning signs will be replaced, the barbeque area and family park will be embellished, a new wooden decking will be installed and free WiFi will be made available. The winding and bumpy road of Triq Lapsi that leads up to the bay will also be repaved as part of the Labour government's plan to repave all of Malta's roads within seven years.

Photo: James Bianchi/MediaToday

Parliamentary secretary for consumers' rights Deo Debattista told a press conference that the government intends to take a more proactive stance with regards the country's general upkeep, stepping in to help local councils when they are struggling.

"One of the things that used to annoy me most as a doctor was when tourist patients used to complain about how dirty Malta is," he said.

Parliamentary secretary for the digital economy Silvio Schembri said that he decided to take direct action after being inundated with complaints by Siggiewi residents and Ghar Lapsi visitors alike about the dilapidated state of the bay. 

"We do not intend to replace the local council, but rather to complement its work," he said. 

Siggiewi’s new mayor, Alessia Psaila Zammit, welcomed the government's intervention but criticised the parliamentary secretaries for not having informed her of their plans earlier on.

"I only found out about this press conference an hour and a half ago," the PN mayor said. "I would have liked to meet up with the parliamentary secretaries beforehand, because I believe that local councils and government should work more closely together."