Gudja council drops plans for offices in Raymond Caruana garden

The Gudja local council has shelved plans to develop its offices in the Raymond Caruana Garden and instead will be issuing a call for expression of interest to be in a position to assess sites offered by the private sector thus pre-empting a brewing controversy in the locality.

Contacted by MaltaToday and asked whether the council still wants to develop a community centre in the garden, locality mayor Marija Sara Vella announced the council’s intention to find a new site for its community centre.

“I believed that an alternative was required, given the fact that it was being proposed within a public garden that residents enjoy. During the last council meeting, I put forward a proposal to fellow council members suggesting the issuance of an Expression of Interest”.

According to the mayor the EOI would be to assess potential privately-owned properties that would fit the criteria.

MaltaToday is informed that discussions on the proposed community centre had commenced in the previous legislature before the election of the new mayor.

She acknowledged that at that time a community building respecting the already existing heights in the area, “with the lowest impact on Ġnien Raymond Caruana was being proposed.”

In October 2022 the mayor had informed the council that Planning Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi had requested a meeting to discuss the council’s plans for Gnien Raymond Caruana and the new council offices.

Finding a replacement for its offices is still a priority for the council. “The current premises are not fit for a community building: there are structural issues and is not equipped to cater for individuals with mobility problems and the elderly, amongst others”.

In parallel, the Gudja local council has been issued with a permit to regenerate an open space currently in a dilapidated state in to be turned into a green area for residents to enjoy.

The open space  adjacent to the scheduled  Palazzo Dorell will add more indigenous trees and will include an outdoor gym, benches, a gazebo and an underground reservoir with a capacity of 440 cubic metres.

The council has also presented plans for two separate projects; a master plan which envisages  the paving and greening of the village core and plans for an underground parking with an open-space roof on top.

The Local Council has also put forward plans address the issue of parking that according to the mayor “plagues” the locality. An area opposite the MIA carpark has already been identified for this project.

“ Due to its proximity to the airport, as a Council we must address Gudja’s parking challenges. In this regard, we are proposing an underground parking, underneath a green open space. All these projects are being done in consultation with the residents”.