St Paul’s Bay Mayor Alfred Grima said that the local council is not receiving enough financial aid to meet the demands of the growing locality because of the inaccurate data published by the National Statistics Office (NSO).

“This situation puts unneccessary pressure on the local council. If data provided by the NSO shows that there are around 30,000 people residing in a locality, government will only provide financial aid for those 30,000 people and not more, as the aid given is based on data published by the NSO,” Grima said.

Grima was asked to share his views following statistics published recently by the NSO. The Census of Population and Housing 2021 showed a significant increase of non-Maltese residents in Malta, particularly in St Paul’s Bay.

According to the data, St Paul’s Bay saw the most significant rise, with 14,000 non-Maltese residents.

But Grima is sure that the population of St Paul’s Bay is much more than 30,000. For him, it is closer to 45,000.

Speaking with The Malta Independent on Sunday on this matter, Grima said that “if one had to look at the years between 2009-2019, one could already notice an increase in the locality’s population by around 56%. This means that the increasing trend has been going on for quite a while”.

He said that changes in population bring with them different challenges, both if the population were to decrease or if it grows.

“If the population in St Paul’s Bay had to decrease, there would be a downfall for businesses and the government would not look at St Paul’s Bay as a priority. Meanwhile, with an increase in population, on behalf of the local council I believe that the challenges encountered will be due to a lack of resources, thus, not being able to cope with the demands of residents residing in St Paul’s Bay,” Grima said. 

Asked about why Grima thinks non-Maltese residents choose St Paul’s Bay as a place to reside in and not any other locality, he said that this is due to two main reasons.

“Firstly, I believe that since St Paul’s Bay is considered to have a significant amount of property available at a lower price when compared to other places, this is an advantage over other localities. Secondly, considering that more than half of the population in this locality is foreign, and are therefore used to the diversity and culture of different people, it tends to be much easier for newly arrived expats to connect with the residents,” Grima said.

He added that although there are many other foreigners residing in different localities across Malta and Gozo, there is still a big difference living in a place like St Paul’s Bay, as other localities do not have the same level of diversity.

Asked whether he believes that Maltese citizens are leaving St Paul’s Bay because they are seeing more foreigners, Grima said that when comparing percentages, the number of foreigners coming to St Paul’s Bay is always greater when compared to the number of Maltese citizens. Grima said that on behalf of the local council it does not make a difference whether the resident is Maltese or foreign as long as everyone abides by the laws and regulations of the country.

 

Financial aid

During the interview, it was noted that although an increase in population in a locality can have its benefits, it can also encounter a number of issues related to littering on the streets as well as problems with parking spaces.

Despite these issues, Grima argued that they stem from an overriding factor, saying that “regardless of the statistics carried out by the NSO, the data does not represent an accurate figure of residents residing in St Paul’s Bay”.

He explained that in 2019, the NSO published similar statistics which showed that there are around 30,000 people residing in St Paul’s Bay. In the same year, when the local council elections tooks place, a total of 27,000 people had the right to vote.

“Does this statistic make sense?” Grima asked, highlighting that as a mayor he is certain that St Paul’s Bay has a population of over 45,000 permanent residents.

He voiced his concern on this matter, saying that “if the data presented is inaccurate, the locality will not receive the financial support it needs from the government to cater for all the residents”.

 

Local council wants 400 parking space car park to operate as soon as possible 

With regard to littering on the streets, he admitted that St Paul’s Bay has a problem, but also defended the locality for the flak that it tends to receive from the public about it being a cluttered and disorderly place, arguing that “considering the significant number of residents residing in the locality, the littering problem is not that serious”.

During the interview, Grima also confirmed that the issue with parking spaces continues to persist.

About two years ago it was reported that a car park of around 400 parking spaces is not being used. Asked for an update on this matter, Grima said that discussions have taken place to find a way forward and eventually open the car park for the public.

Grima did not specify a period as to when this might be, saying that “when a matter of this sort depends on others, I do not want to be an interfering busybody. However, I can guarantee that the local council wants this car park to start operating as soon as possible”.

 

Grima calls for more enforcement and for the PA to be careful with the issuing of permits

Grima also made an appeal to the Planning Authority, saying that “the PA should be more careful with the permits that it is giving out as we have overcrowded areas to the point that there is no space to plant a tree”.

He also noted that as the population continues to increase, one needs to start prioritising the level of enforcement present within the locality.