Unwanted development – Brian Decelis
One usually associates the word ‘development’ with an improvement in a situation for the better. However, this word in Malta has now become only the byword for the unwanted destruction of the remaining few green spaces and heritage buildings in Malta. Indeed, not even the pandemic, which wrought such havoc on most sectors of our economy, was able to put some brakes on overdevelopment. Must we stop all development that can result in economic benefits for the country? Of course not. As a councillor in Fgura local council, I had been presented with the plans for the project that eventually became the Galleria complex. A cinema which had been abandoned for many years was developed into an opportunity for employment and entertainment. Would not have Fgura been poorer had this site instead been turned into cheaply built, tasteless flats? It is not just a question of where we build but it is a question of what we build. Developers fought to destroy the farmhouse from which Fgura got its name when it could have been the cultural heart of the town. Nowadays, we find that local councils are not even consulted on matters that are going to leave a direct impact on the citizens they represent.