The process of consultation regarding the re-development of the port region,which Labour has engaged in, has eventually got to Sliema. A city blessed, and at the same time cursed, with development. A city that in a nutshell is a showcase of beauty and at the same time clear evidence of some of the wrongs that this tired administration has made Malta go through.

The port region, has from the very beginning of economic development in Malta, been the pivot on which all was centered upon, Valletta, the Grand Harbour, the Drydocks, Sliema and Marsa, were some of the central locations of the plan which originally offered an economic beginning in the fifties, that was in fact only a dream, when Labour started plotting our nationhood.

It was Labour again in the seventies, that had decentralised what development there then was, as evenly as possible over the island to be enjoyed by one and all. Unfortunately, the Nationalist administrations with their lack of vision have neglected the major part of the port area as they did most of our economic activities and lost the opportunity of giving Malta a steady and sustainable economic growth. Despite all this, however, it is up to Labour again to revive the economic and social activity of the port area, for the betterment of all.

Coming back to Sliema, it is sad to note, that one of the more beautiful places in Malta has been thrown into the hands of unscrupulous development. Do not misunderstand me, I am not against development. What I am against, is the gold rush feeling that made everyone effectively “poorer” in the area. Yes to planned and managed development. No to the deterioration in the quality of life we are witnessing in Sliema, where the social fiber is dying fast, with an ever-aging population and decreasing young families to maintain the much needed social activity. The splendor that Sliema once was, has indeed led to its own decline.

Wrong policies, or the lack of them, have reduced Sliema to what it is.

MEPA is here again to take most of the blame, because it has managed Sliema’s development wrongly. A case in point is the Qui-si-sana/Tigne fiasco that seems to plan the forced migration of the residents from their (used to be) nice, quaint and peaceful environment. For what!! To welcome probably the most ferocious real estate development Malta has ever witnessed in such a small area. I say it again, I am in favour of development, but this must be well managed and not haphazard.

The present policy seems to be leading to just one thing: gain goes to the developer, loss to the whole community. Bye the old lady with the stick, the young lady with the pram, the kids going to school in the morning, the kissing couple on the doorstep. Hello to trucks, bull dozers, and a hell of a lot of dust and lifeless huge blocks of inanimate buildings, to sell to the rich few and the foreigners.

I am disappointed (not to say angry) like most of the people of Sliema are, because there could have been another way of creating wealth, without destroying the life of ordinary working families and pensioners. The process could have been much better managed. MEPA’s weakness in accepting such low value design has in fact destroyed the architectural value of the area, possibly eventually reducing the overall value of the real estate there. But worst still, with all the academics working in the organisation, how could they have left such an organised confusion happen. I have no other alternative but to really believe, that the organisation is very very strong with the weak and very very weak with the strong, in the most basic of senses.

Sliema is a serious case of unthinking Nationalist administrations. It is witness of their believing that economics is just increasing the height of buildings, demolition and re-building. The divorce of social policy from all this, is one of the more serious misdemeanors of this government. Labour is talking to everyone, to Sliema residents included, to try to sort out what can be done and to avoid these happenings elsewhere.

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Dr Michael Falzon is the MLP deputy leader