From Mr V. Battistino

I refer to the letter from Joe Baldacchino (vice mayor and PRO of Birzebbuga local council) regarding the state of the waterpolo facility under our management. (TMIS, 1 October).

We confirm that the facility is leased to our club and we are obliged to keep it clean and maintain it to the best standards possible. We are also obliged to ensure security and prevent damage by third parties. The facility in Birzebbuga is open to the public since the club has a moral duty to give right of passage to the general public as this popular promenade goes through the middle of our facility as it is today. This therefore makes it very difficult for us to control the premises.

This summer (as in previous years) the facility was cleaned by the club – undertaken personally by a committee member and the local council provided for the disposal of the rubbish. However, due to the open nature of the facility and the lack of supervision by the competent authorities on the promenade, rubbish discarded by irresponsible people accumulates regularly. When the bar is open, this does not happen. However, this year, the bar was not opened since certain structural defects in the roof were noted late last year and deemed dangerous, and has to be totally rebuilt. This is where the competent government ministry intervened and the premises secured. In fact, we will be able to rebuild the rooms (clubhouse and ancillary facilities like dressing rooms, committee room and so on) forming part of the facility. We are all waiting for the issue of the respective MEPA permits for these works to commence, hopefully this autumn. In view of all this, we therefore fail to understand the stance taken by the PRO (we presume in agreement with the administration of the council), when the council is fully informed that we are waiting for the necessary MEPA permits to reconstruct the clubhouse and the passageway for the public. So much so, the same local council has written to the MEPA approving and supporting the works involved! Your newspaper and the public can confirm this with the authority.

We are also surprised at the attitude taken by Mr Baldacchino, where he exhorts the Malta Sports Council to take away the facility from our club and assign it to the people of Birzebbuga, through the local council, because of our “inaction” and “breach of conditions”. This has also been communicated to the same council and (copied) to us some time ago. As if the committee and club of Birzebbuga ASC is not made up of people residing in Birzebbuga!

We therefore want to restate that the intention of our committee is to re-construct the clubhouse and provide an alternative passageway for the public, so that we will be able to control the use of the facility under our care. We have all the intentions to reactivate the sport in Birzebbuga so that our children can avail themselves of the right facilities in their locality. Discussions with the private sector have been ongoing for some time to ensure a long term, financially feasible package with such investors.

The club’s PRO has already verbally communicated these facts to the president of the ASA, who has also pledged any support we might require in giving a new lease of life to the club.

Victor Battistino

PRO Birzebbuga ASC