Like all other towns and villages Attard is affected by policy decisions at the national level. The havoc created by the change in the rezoning of whole areas into the infamous ‘three-storey, semi-basement and penthouse’ zones by government in 2006 is a case in point. Ripping up of streets and pavements has become the order of the day. All this is happening in a country with more than 50,000 empty properties.
Another weakness in the local council’s setup is the lack of effective tools for the enforcement of basic civic duties. The private warden system is simply too expensive and ineffective. Littering and antisocial behaviour are a constant challenge. Some people still persist in taking out their mixed dirty waste on Tuesdays – the day reserved for the collection of recyclables.
As a minority councillor I try and do my best in influencing the decisions taken locally. A sore point is the deterioration of the railway embankment in Triq il-Linja – an example of 19th century industrial architecture which is rapidly crumbling to pieces. I asked for help
more than once. Till now my appeals fell on deaf ears. Another initiative is the provision by the council of photovoltaic panels to our local Primary School. In this way we are contributing in the move towards cleaner energy. I also asked for an education campaign about energy use – an article written by an expert in the subject which is being published in this magazine. Another project is the strengthening of the council’s recycling initiatives. Hopefully you will hear more about this early in 2010.
Finally I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
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Ralph Cassar can be contacted on cassarralph@gmail.com or 99894962
Ralph Cassar 