An interview with Floriana mayor Nigel Holland, who is Malta’s only independent mayor, will be published in tomorrow’s issue of our daily sister paper.

Even though the Floriana and Valletta local councils have exchanged words in recent weeks over which locality should be given the right to hold a national New Year’s Eve party, Mr Holland, who is also one of Malta’s longest serving mayors, emphasises that “encouraging rivalry in local government, when it has already filtered into many other areas, is ridiculous”.

He stressed that Floriana is going through a period of regeneration at all levels, especially in the physical, cultural and demographical aspects of the town, which is why the local council is embarking on an ambitious campaign, with the slogan ‘Floriana − A place to live’, which Mr Holland hopes will lead to an increase in the number of people opting to live in what was once the suburb of Malta’s capital city.

Mr Holland explains that the population in Floriana began to decline after World War II, with the biggest fall recorded in the mid-1970s and 1980s, when offices began to spill over from Valletta. People who left said that small, crowded apartments with too many stairs was why they opted to search for and live in more comfortable homes elsewhere.

Mr Holland admits that the council wants to preserve the character of the old Floriana, and that the restoration of historical sites such as the Polverista (gunpowder magazine) overlooking Grand Harbour, which is in a state of disrepair, is essential.

“I know the Lands Department has issued an invitation for expressions of interest in the development and restoration of this site, which is positive,” he said, and highlighted the density of traffic in Floriana, which has even led to St Anne’s Street being crowned the most polluted street in Malta.

“Finding solutions to this problem is not easy. The council has worked hand in hand with Mepa but unfortunately no conclusion has been reached, as there seems to be no feasible and viable options to reduce the flow of traffic in Floriana,” Mr Holland said.