For years on end we all wondered why Valletta, our capital city, went to sleep at 7pm when the shops closed and all the workers returned home.

We questioned why, whereas other European capital cities remained alive well into the night, there was too little activity in our own Valletta, which meant that people stayed away.

In the past decade or so, we have seen Valletta come to life again in the evenings. The number of activities mushroomed (except for the time when there were restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic). More and more restaurants opened, and people started to flock to Valletta again.

We were pleased that Valletta was coming back to life, and the streets were no longer empty after 7pm.

But now it seems that we have a different problem. And this is that the residents do not like the idea that the capital city is now a rowdy place in the evenings, with music being played till the early hours of the morning. Recent decisions made by the government now allow music to be played in a number of streets until 1am, and not be bound to stop at 11pm.

The local council is saying that it was not consulted on the matter. The Nationalist Party is now saying that Valletta is becoming too commercialised, and is seeking the revocation of the legal notices as, it says, they go against Valletta’s unique characteristics.

It seems that we have gone from one extreme to another.

As usually is the case, the balance should be somewhere in between.

One understands that residents want peaceful evenings. Keeping windows closed, unless one has air-conditioners, is not ideal in the summer heat.

One also understands that businesses seek to attract as many patrons as possible, and the live music is one way through which they can do so.

That such decisions were taken without there being some kind of consultation with the local council, which represents the residents, is not how things should have been done. That more streets were added to the list even after protests had already been lodged was another thing that should have been avoided.

The needs of the residents should be respected. Apart from a devaluation of their property, these new regulations have a severe impact on their lifestyle. Not being able to sleep because of loud music is something that nobody enjoys.

It’s the same situation that Paceville residents faced – and are still facing – when nightlife literally moved to the area in the 1980s.

No compromise was reached on Paceville, and one hopes that this time round there will be more common sense before the situation degenerates further. While welcoming the fact that Valletta is livelier in the evenings, one cannot ignore that people live there and, like most of us, they need to wake up for work the following day or, in the case of children, for school.

It would be sad if Valletta turns into another Paceville.