Sliema residents say swimming zones are shrinking

Sliema residents swimming at Tigné have complained to the local council that the swimming zone there is smaller, despite the transport authority saying this is not the case. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

Clarie Caruana - Times of Malta, August 4 2016

Sliema residents swimming at Tigné have been flooding the local council with complaints, claiming the size of the swimming zone there has been reduced drastically.

According to a spokesman for Transport Malta, the swimming zone’s size has not decreased. In light of the complaints, however, the authority would be “verifying that all zones were implemented according to the coordinates laid down in the agreement”, he said.

Yet despite complaints streaming in daily, the council cannot do much to refute the claims by the transport authority, an issue that has long hindered the work that can be carried out by the council, according to Sliema councillor Michael Briguglio.

“There’s no way to disprove what Transport Malta are saying. Swimmers complain to us on a daily basis, but there is not much we can do to verify.

Unfortunately this is not the first time that our hands are tied and we are left with no other option but to wait for the competent authorities to take action

“This is one of many examples where the council must rely on a government authority that may be detached from the local situation,” Dr Briguglio told this newspaper yesterday.

A similar situation was reported at Exiles earlier this summer, with the authority informing the council the issue would be addressed and the zone would be extended once again, the councillor said.

According to Dr Briguglio, the council has to deal with such situations on a regular basis, insisting that while residents often turn to the council for assistance on such matters, there is often not much councillors can do.

“We work with residents, we know them, but unfortunately this is not the first time that our hands are tied and we are left with no other option but to wait for the competent authorities to take action,” he said.

Calling the situation a “bureaucratic mess”, Dr Briguglio said that in such cases, the council would take all the necessary steps to try and resolve the issue, but in the majority of cases, all it could do was wait for the authorities to take action.

He added that there were other problems in the locality that the council wanted to address but could not, because it relied on another authority to take action.

According to Dr Briguglio, the locality was presently dealing with parkers and street vendors who blatantly abuse the system, for instance, and while the council monitored each case closely, it could not do much to stop the abuse.

“There is a whole range of issues, and all we can do is send photos and ask authorities to take action,” Dr Briguglio said.

Summer in Sliema

As we head into Summer, the Sliema Local Council will be involved in various activities, events and initiatives.

The Sliema Arts Festival will take place between 17 and 19 July, and promises to provide an exciting mix of activities which will cater for different tastes and styles. One can read more about the Festival elsewhere in the Sliema magazine and in other local council promotional material.

During the summer months, much focus will be made on Sliema’s beaches. Daily requirements such as accessibility, cleanliness and safety are top priorities for the Local Council which works in collaboration with Government Departments and entities in this regard.

I appeal to everyone using Sliema’s beaches to keep them as clean as possible, and also not to park cars on the rocks or other no-parking areas. Unfortunately, litter such as dog droppings, cigarette buts and plastic bottles are ever-present, despite the daily clean-ups and enforcement from wardens

Accessibility is also a major priority in play areas and other facilities in Sliema. The upgrading of the children’s playing area at Independence Garden was recently awarded for its accessibility features. This was an encouraging achievement for the local council and inspires us to keep giving priority to accessibility in upcoming projects.

The Sliema Council is also highly concerned with the Chalet structure, which suffered damage during the Winter months. Discussions are on the way to see what can be done to ensure safety and devise alternatives to the decaying structure.

During summer, the Local Council will be providing lessons in reading and writing in Maltese and English for Primary school children. Besides, applications will for the highly popular courses in Lifelong Learning and Performative Arts will be available between July 15 and August 7 from this website: http://lifelonglearning.gov.mt/. A wide range of courses will be on offer for the upcoming academic year. Sliema’s public library at Blanche Huber Street will be open as usual and I invite residents to make use of its services, which include lending of books and internet.

On a final note, my roles in the Local Council have been confirmed by Mayor Anthony Chircop, for which I thank him. Hence, I have been confirmed as Chairperson for the committees for Education and for Accessibility and Disability; I am a member in the Finance, Tenders and EU Committees; and I also am a new member of the Committee for Public Gardens, Playing Fields and Promenade. My responsibilities for Coastal Environment and for Environmental pollution have been confirmed, too.

I invite those interested in contributing to these areas/committees to contact me at mbrig@hotmail.com

This article appears in Sliema Local Council magazine, Summer 2015
Click here for online view

Sliema Beach Clean Up Initiative

Maritime Day in Sliema - Sunday May 19th

Sliema Local Council will be participating in European Maritime Day on Sunday 19th May, between 9am and 1pm.

Events:

Exiles (Taormina area, under Peppi's):
Boat ride for kids
Knotting
Fishing competition
Old boats display
Bar

Exiles & Qui-si-sana:
Underwater clean-up
All qualified divers are invited to participate.
Tanks and weights - free of charge
Drinks and refreshments provided


Balluta to Fond Ghadir:
Beach clean-up
Everyone is invited to participate
Garbage pickers, globes and bags provided.



Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/460136707400396/?fref=ts

Beaches and Education (2)

Michael Briguglio

(This article appeared in the Sliema Local Council magazine, December 2012)

In the last edition of the Sliema Local Council magazine, I highlighted some of the work done by Sliema Local Council in areas under my responsibility as local councillor, namely maritime affairs and education respectively. In particular, as regards maritime affairs, I referred to issues such as beach cleaning, accessibility in beaches, bicycle racks, swimmers’ zones, enforcement against littering, and the proposed upgrading of the Taormina area.

As regards education, I referred to initiatives such the lifelong learning programme and storytelling for children at the Sliema public library.

In this article, I would like to discuss some recent developments in these two areas.

As regards maritime affairs, the Sliema Local Council approved the proposal of a bye-law to regulate Bar-b-ques. This was discussed in the maritime subcommittee which I chair, and I also invited residents to send me proposals.

In short, Sliema council is proposing that even though no prior authorization would be required from the council to authorize BBQs, due its unpractical nature, those organizing such events would be held responsible for their activities.

We are proposing the application of existing legislation regarding littering; that no loud music or excessive noise pollution would be allowed; that no cars would be allowed on the rocks/beaches; that no open fires would be permitted on rocks/beaches and that BBQs are to be held on BBQ equipment. If these proposals would be approved by the respective authorities, the bye-law would be in place Green wardens would then have better facility to enforce accordingly. Thus a balance between peoples’ recreational activities and responsible behaviour on public land would be reached.

As regards education, with pleasure I announce that the lifelong learning courses in German, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Italian, French, Maltese, English, Lace Making and Energy Saving are proving to be succesful, with high attendance. This only ecourages
Sliema Local Council to keep investing in education.

I am also proud to announce that the Sliema library hosted library day on 5th December, is being made more accessible through investment in a wi-fi system. The library area is also being given greater attention, for example through better signage. Story telling sessions for children are being held every Saturday morning from 9am to 10am and a variety books are being purchased, including for persons with special needs. The library has also benefitted from kind donations.

I encourage all those who would like to propose improvments with regard to maritime affairs and education to contact me. In the meantime I wish a merry Christmas and happy new year to all Sliema residents.

mbrig@hotmail.com

Beaches and Education

Michael Briguglio

From Sliema Local Council magazine - Autumn 2012
http://issuu.com/pierreport/docs/sliema_autumn_2012


In this article I would like to highlight some of the work done by Sliema Local Council in areas under my responsibility as local councilor, namely maritime affairs and education respectively.

One of the main challenges faced by the Sliema local council this year was beach cleaning. For this purpose, and for other matters related to beaches, a subcommittee chaired by myself was formed. We highlighted main challenges to the Cleansing Department and to the Malta Tourism Authority, and various improvements were made, such as placing of practical bins and increased cleaning efforts. However, various challenges remain. We should avoid having our beaches littered with dog pooh, plastic bottles, cigarette butts and other waste!

Suffice to say that a civic-minded NGO, 'That's Rubbish', carried out two beach clean-ups from Fortizza to the area past Surfside lido, in collaboration with Sliema Local Council – and a total of 65 Kg of cigarette butts and other waste were collected in one instance and 40kg in the other.

Another challenge relates to accessibility in beaches. In this regard, I am pleased to report that following the local council’s collaboration with Malta Tourism Authority, various ramps and ladders have helped increase accessibility in our beaches. The increase in swimmers’ zones also helped increase safety. I am pleased to announce that Sliema Local Council has applied with Transport Malta for two new swimmers’ zones next year, namely another one at Exiles (under the Taormina area, to the left of the pier) and one at Qui-si-sana.

Sliema Local Council is also considering introducing a bye-law to regulate Bar-B-Ques, in order that people may recreate themselves responsibly, thus ensuring that beaches are left clean. I invite those interested in sending suggestions in this regard to email me with your feedback.

In order to promote green mobility in Sliema, we have also installed four new bicycle racks along the Sliema promenade, from Exiles to Ghar id-Dud, and near the pedestrianized Bisazza Street. This will make life easier for cyclists, and will hopefully help contribute to the greening of Sliema.

Enforcement by wardens has also been increased at Sliema’s beaches, particularly with regards to cars parked on the rocks under it-Torri and to those who litter our beaches with dog pooh. Such enforcement will remain in place until such problems are done away with.

Sliema Local Council has also approved plans for better management of parking, berthing of boats and swimming in the area under Taormina. Following consultation with fishermen, garage owners and others, the Beaches and Transport subcommittees proposed a plan which was approved by the Local Council and which will hopefully increase safety and accessibility in the area. It was very difficult to please everyone to the full, but the approved plans take into consideration the different interests and needs of the area.

An exciting project supported by Sliema Local Council is the Putting Colour Into the Streets Project by the ‘Troglodyte’ artists, which in the case of Sliema includes the painting of murals at Qui-si-sana beach. This is surely a breath of fresh air when compared to the drab grey cement walls which were previously in place!

As regards education, one of the successes of the local council was its lifelong learning programme, in collaboration with the Lifelong Learning Directorate and the Department for Local Government. Various courses were held, and participation was very good. Another series of courses will take place between October and May. The areas under consideration, depending on demand from prospective applicants, including the following: Litterizmu fil-Malti; English Literacy; Maths/Numeracy; Maltese as a foreign language; English as a foreign language; French; German; Spanish; Italian; Russian; Arabic; Lace-making and Energy-saving initiatives at home.

The Sliema Local Council is also actively supporting its library, and a new service was introduced, namely story telling for children, which is carried out by librarian Ms Therese Attard Previ. These sessions are held on Saturday mornings between 9am and 10am. Even though turnout in the Summer months was rather low, one expects a higher turnout in the coming months. Those interested in registering their children for this educational opportunity are kindly requested to contact me with their details.

Last but not least, I welcome feedback on matters related to Sliema in general and maritime affairs and education in particular.

mbrig@hotmail.com

Cigarettes on the beach

Last Saturday, 'That's Rubbish', an NGO, carried out a beach clean-up from Fortizza to the area past Surfside lido, in collaboration with Sliema Local Council.

A total of 65 Kg of cigarette butts and other waste were collected. A similar clean up at the end of June collected 40kg of cigarette butts and other waste.

More effort by everyone has to be made to reduce, rather than increase rubbish. This includes the Cleansing Department, whose workers have to catch up with the increased volumes of waste, and, more importantly, some swimmers and bathers who do not bother to use the various bins which are available. Not to mention those who allow their dogs to pooh on the beach.

Sliema Local Council is consistently monitoring the matter together with the Cleansing Department. We recently toured the Exiles beach to look into waste-related matters. We are also currently looking into the possibility of distributing portable ash-trays.

Feedback from all is more than welcome.

Green Wardens

Sliema Local Council is extending green wardens' operations, focusing on inconveniences such as dumping of waste, littering of dog dirt especially at beaches, and others. Traffic wardens are also enforcing against those who park their cars at beaches such as under the Tower area.

BBQs

Sliema Local Council is discussing the possibility of an introduction of a bye-law to regulate BBQs in the locality, so as to ensure that areas are cleaned up and as little inconvenience as possible is created. Anyone who would like to send me concrete proposals on this is invited to email me at mbrig@hotmail.com

Swimmers' Zones

In addition to current swimmers zones at Exiles, Fond Ghadir, Tigne' and Chalet, Sliema Local Council has applied for new swimmers zone at Qui-si-sana and Taormina Exiles, and for extension of the Exiles swimmers zone. Transport Malta will be considering these for 2013.

Swimmers Zones are of great benefit for the safety of swimmers.

Beach clean-up

"That's Rubbish", an NGO, will be organising a clean up of the Sliema coast starting at 11:30am until 13:00hrs, this coming Saturday. They will be walking along the coast from Fortizza to Balluta and will clean cigarette butts and any other rubbish they find.

Well done to such civic-minded NGOs.

In the meantime, the beaches subcommittee of Sliema Local Council is looking into various issues which deserve immediate attention. Some issues are already being tackled. A case in point is enforcement by wardens against persons who park their cars on the beach. Such enforcement has been stepped up.

Various facilities, including accessible ladders, ramps and a clinic have been situated across the stretch referred to above, under the supervision of the Malta Tourism Authority.

Exiles Beach

Yesterday, the beaches subcommittee which I chair inspected the popular Exiles beach.

We took note of various improvements which need to take place, related to issues such as waste management, general cleanliness, maintenance of infrastructure, need for enforcement on matters such as parking of cars and dog-dirt, increased accessibility, and so forth.

I am currently tackling these issues within Sliema Local Council and respective authorities.

Cars on the beach

Enforcement on the cars parked irregularly under it-Torri has started to take place, following my insistence as councillor responsible for beaches. I will keep making necessary pressure for increased enforcement, also in the Taormina area (near the Pier), where cars are also being parked irregularly.

Cars on the beach

As is the case every summer, some 'cowboys' have decided to use the Sliema beach, under it-Torri as a parking space. Cars on the rocks cause ecological harm and pollution.

Police and Regional Committee in charge of wardens are being alerted. As Councillor responsible for beaches, I will be watching closely.

I have also received complaints of cars parking at Exiles taormina near breakwater.

Subcommittee on Beaches

The Sliema Local Council has approved the setting up of a number of subcommittees.

I will be chairing the subcommittee on beaches.

I invite those interested in participating in this subcommittee to contact me via email by this Friday 1st June so that the setting up of the subcommittee can be formalized.

Contact me at mbrig@hotmail.com

Beach Management

Today, together with Mayor Anthony Chircop, I had a positive meeting with Mark Scerri Simiana, from the Malta Tourism Authority, where we focused on beach management.

In Summer, Fond Ghadir will be having a supervisor and 2-3 lifeguards from 10am to 6pm, 7 days a week. Like other beaches, it will be cleaned every day, and it is equipped with bins for separated waste for recycling. It has been declared a swimmers zone (like most of Exiles beach), and has a ladder which is accessible for persons with disability. Exiles beach also has such a ladder and a ramp for increased accessibility.

There are plans for improvements in beaches, ranging from increased accessibility to better facilities, which I will be proposing in Sliema Local Council.