Letters 26 June 2016

Tourists are most welcome

The authorities want us to believe that we Maltese welcome the tourists who visit us. That may be true in many cases, but not in Tourists Street, Bugibba.

I was out near the San Antonio Hotel area for a family gathering and what did I see?

I was walking along the side street that takes you to Tourists Street and Triq I-Imrejkba. The state of the road is the same as I saw it five years ago. What attention has the Local Council been giving to this touristic area? And what attention is the Local Council today giving to this same place? Is David Thake, the vociferous radio critic, asleep?

The second tourist attraction in front of me was a massive skip.

Someone was overhauling his shop in the middle of the tourist season.

And lastly, drainage water flows copiously in Triq I-Imrejkba, with people having to splash in it as they cannot avoid it.

This is the welcome we give to our tourists in this part of Tourists Street, in the area where the number of restaurants is numerous.

Peter Camilleri, Mosta

Monstrous construction in Lija

I condemn the insinuation which Mr Robin Zammit made (Lija council opposes ‘monstrosity’ of proposed apartment block, MaltaToday.com.mt 11 June), that he lives across the proposed block of apartments and that his privacy will be prejudiced.

Mr Zammit does not even live in Triq Daniel Sammut but elsewhere in Lija, so this proposed building cannot affect him. It is I who lives exactly across the road and will be facing the block of apartments.

Indeed there are already existing blocks of apartments just a few metres away. The proposed building does not affect me since it will consist of luxury apartments which will enhance the same street. Furthermore, Triq Daniel Sammut is not in the vicinity of the Belvedere area as stated in your newspaper, and is not considered exclusively a villa area.

Alfred Pulé, Lija

Coast Road kiosk

The Planning Authority would like to clarify that the recently submitted planning application for the ‘Location of mobile kiosk and ancillary facilities (tables and chairs)’ referred to in the article (‘Coast Road: Now government applies for kiosk’, 15 May) at Triq is-Salina was made by a private applicant in the name of Charles Micallef, who is not a public officer or applying on behalf of a government ministry, agency or department.

The error is the result of the wrong box having been ticked, whereby the applicant makes a declaration pertaining to the land ownership status in relation to the submitted site plan. The authority deems the error to be genuine, given that the applicant had also submitted a copy of the notification letter sent to the Commissioner of Lands.       

Earlier this month, the authority issued Circular 2/16 notifying all Periti, that with immediate effect, all applications proposals on government property should not only include a copy of the “Applicant’s Notification to Owner” (Form PA1/16), but should also be accompanied by a clearance from the Government Property Division, stating that the division finds no objection in principle to the submission of an application on the site in question for the proposed development. This provision applies to all Development Planning Applications, Screening Requests and notifications in terms of the Development Notification Order.

Peter Gingell

PR & Communications Manager, Planning Authority

Usurping use of Villa Parisio

Mr Robert Hornyold Strickland’s letter “Setting the record straight” (15 May) does nothing of the sort. On the contrary, it misleads readers through misinterpretation. Once again, he was also selective in quoting from Ms Mabel Strickland’s will. 

To set the record straight, we would like readers to see Ms Strickland’s will, a copy of which we are enclosing with this letter and which we would like the newspaper to publish. We are confident that, on reading it, they will see that Villa Parisio was intended by Ms Strickland to serve as the seat of the Strickland Foundation.

Mr Hornyold-Strickland is usurping the use of Villa Parisio in direct violation of Ms Strickland’s wishes as expressed in her will. 

Ronald Agius

Acting Chairman, Strickland Foundation