The historic building that has housed the Siggiewi Labour Party club since 1981 has been passed on to the local council, which plans to restore the building and turn it into a civic centre, which will house the locality’s first day care centre for the elderly and an administrative centre.
The building had been rented out to the Labour Party on the eve of the 1981 election, and the lease was extended before the 1987 election for a period of 24 years.
But in July last year the Siggiewi Local Council approved a motion by means of which it requested the devolution of the property.
During a press conference outside the building yesterday morning, Parliamentary Secretary for Land Jason Azzopardi and Siggiewi deputy mayor Karol Aquilina said the lease on the property expired on 30 June this year, and the PL was given until Wednesday to vacate the property.
The 1,000-square metre property, which is valued at about €1.5 million, was bought by the government from Mabel Strickland in 1966. Her father, former Prime Minister Sir Gerald Strickland had inherited the property from Count Sir Nicolò Sceberras Bologna.
The deputy mayor of Siggiewi explained that a committee has been set up within the local council to oversee the civic centre project, for which the council has allocated €100,000.
Dr Aquilina said the local council is currently finalising the plans for the project and will be submitting an application to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mepa).
The first phase of the project involves the restoration of the building, including the façade, while the second phase involves work on the internal yard, where the day care centre for the elderly will be set up temporarily.
In the third phase, a yard towards the back end of the property will be developed into a permanent day care centre and possibly a night shelter for elderly people.
Meanwhile, the government has granted the Labour Party a five-year encroachment permit by means of which it will be able to make use of the building previously occupied by the local council until alternative premises are identified.
Timeline
1966: Nationalist government buys property from Mabel Strickland
1966-1969: Property used as a primary school
1969: Property became civic centre used by a number of organisations
1981: Labour government leases property to the Labour Party
1983: Parts of the building became vacant and then were also leased to the PL
1987: Labour government extends lease
2009: Siggiewi Local Council approves motion, requesting devolution of property
2010: Lease expires and property is transferred to the local council