Proposed Sliema car park will be below street level, Independence Gardens will not be touched

Neil Camilleri

The Malta Independent 8 June 2016

A new underground car park in Sliema will be built underneath the existing playground near it-Torri and the project has nothing to do with Independence Gardens (photo above), the Sliema Local Council has clarified.

Some Sliema residents were claiming on the social media that Independence Gardens “would be destroyed to make way for a three-storey car park that would obstruct sea views and destroy trees.” One resident even said the project would affect the resident feline community.

But the Sliema council has explained that the proposal, currently at application stage, is for a 180-space car park to be built under street level at the site of the small playground (near Exiles). A new playground will replace the existing one on the same site.

It is understood that residents might have been given the wrong impression because of a technicality on the PA map server – the project boundary lines might have overlapped onto Independence Garden – but that mistake is being corrected.

The council noted that there are currently only thirty odd parking spaces near Exiles – an area that is flooded with beachgoers during the summer months. Some drivers end up parking their cars on the rocks for a lack of space. The new carpark will help alleviate the huge parking problem.

The council explained that the project was proposed to make use of Urban Improvement Funds given to the local council by the Planning Authority – the funds can only be used on traffic management/parking projects.

This newsroom was also informed that an EU standard accessible-to-all playground will be built on top of the carpark.

Furthermore, Independence Gardens will be upgraded through a new lighting system, new benches and an added number of trees. 

To obtain information about the development proposal, and to submit feedback to the Planning Authority, please go to http://www.pa.org.mt/SearchPA?Systemkey=162805&CaseFullRef=PA/01956/16

Upgrading/Embellishment/Reconstruction of Sliema public gardens

The Sliema Local Council will be carrying out upgrading and embellishment works at Independence Garden, which also includes usage of energy saving and energy efficient technology.

Reconstruction works of the Margaret Mortimer Garden (The swings near it-Torri) are also projected to take place in 2016, pending approval.

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

New Responsibilities as Councillor

In yesterday's Local Council meeting, Sliema Mayor Anthony Chircop re-assigned resposibilities to councillors. My responsibilities are as follows:

Chairperson Education;
Chairperson Committee for Accessibility and Disability;
Member - Committee for Public Gardens, Playing Fields and Promenade;
Member - Finance Committee;
Member - Tenders Committee;
Coastal Environment;
Environmental Pollution (Air, Traffic, Noise);
Member - EU Funding Committee

Those willing to assist in any of these areas are welcome to contact me at mbrig@hotmail.com

Sliema play area awarded for Accessibility

The Sliema Local Council has been awarded third place under the A+ Accessibility Scheme out of 26 participating Local Councils, for our latest project of new and accessible swings at Independence Garden.

We are proud that our efforts to ensure that the new play area is as accessible as possible have been fruitful. The design of the project was carried out by experts and we conducted comprehensive consultation to ensure best practice.

New Play Area inaugurated at Independence Gardens

The Sliema Local Council has inaugurated a new play area at Independence Gardens. The Local Council has strived to ensure that the area is as accessible as possible, and consulted with experts in the field, including NGO Breaking Limits.

The garden is already proving to be a success.

SLC would like to appeal to parents to ensure that only children with wheelchairs should use the swing which is designed precisely for this purpose. Unfortunately at times the swing is being used by lots of children at the same time - as can be seen in picture below. This is potentially dangerous for users.

Accessible Play Area to be inaugurated this Thursday

This Thursday 17 July at 7pm Sliema Local Council will be inaugurating the new play area at Independence Garden.

The top priority of the project is accessibility for children with disability. Sliema Local Council carried consulted with experts and activists for the rights of persons with disability so as to ensure the implementation of this goal.

Education and Accessibility

Michael Briguglio

Sliema Local Council magazine - Summer 2014

Education courses within Sliema Local Council are as popular as ever, and this inspires us to organize more courses.

Indeed, this Summer we will be organising language courses for primary school children – Maltese and foreign - as well as courses for adults in leading a healthy lifestyle through the food we eat.

In addition, Sliema will also benefit from Government initiatives namely a comprehensive summer school scheme (Skola Sajf), childcare facilities (Klabb 3-16), and a catch-up literacy programme for children benefitting from Complementary Education (Klabb Sajf)

In mid-August, Sliema will launch its proposals for Life Long Learning courses for the upcoming scholastic year, and applications will be accepted until 5th September. These courses are very popular, and Sliema is frequently cited as a success story due to the high participation rate of adult students. For the upcoming year, the Local Council has applied for a number of courses in Literacy (Maltese, English, Science; Maths); English and Maltese as foreign languages; Spanish Language and Culture; Zumba; Yoga; Understanding Child Development; Lace Making and Maltese Cultural and Natural Heritage.

Following summer we also plan to hold other courses including the ever-popular beading course and computer skills course for adults. Story-telling for children at the Council library will also take place for the third successive year.

Accessibility is a major priority in all courses and schemes. More details on both courses can be obtained by contacting the local council, through the respective Gov.mt websites or through the local council’s facebook page and noticeboards. One can also ask Sliema Local Council to add one’s address in the council email list, so as to receive such information.

On another note, in the first weeks of summer, the Local Council will inaugurate the new children’s play area in Independence Garden, which is going to be a flagship of accessibility. In this regard, Sliema Local Council carried out consultation with professionals and with experts in disability issues representing the Breaking Limits NGO so as to ensure that the swings are truly accessible.

Accessibility is also being given priority with respect to beaches in Sliema. We acknowledge that more needs to be done, yet a hands-on proactive approach is being adopted by Local Council.

I invite residents to contact me with suggestions and feedback especially on issues under my responsibility, namely education, disability and maritime affairs.

mbrig@hotmail.com

New Playing field in Independence Garden

Sliema Local Council is proud to announce that works on the new playing field at Independence Garden are to start in the coming weeks. The top priority of the project is accessibility for persons with disability.