President Myriam Spiteri Debono told The Malta Independent that the Kitchen Gardens will reopen, but admitted that she could not commit to exactly when this would happen.
The Kitchen Gardens, located on Presidential grounds at San Anton in Balzan, were suddenly closed to the public on 1 August 2024 because "necessary works" needed to be carried out.
Thus far, there has been no indication as to when the gardens - which was run by the Malta Community Chest Fund and which were initially opened to the public in 2011 under George Abela's presidency - will be reopened.
"We found a drastic situation which meant that, against our will, we had to close the gardens from one day to the next," Spiteri Debono told this newspaper in an interview on the occasion of one year since she became the 11th President of the Republic of Malta.
"There are certain issues that we are facing, but our thought and wish is to have these gardens functioning again and reopened," she said.
She said that among the issues being faced are ones of funding and also permitting, as since the gardens are a part of the San Anton Palace grounds, specific permits are required in order to ensure that no damage is done.
"I'll be straight - I cannot tell you that we will open it on this day or the other; but we are moving down the road that it will open and function again," she said.
The area known as the Kitchen Gardens has a long history: it was used by the Knights of St John to grow produce for the Palace, and was then converted into an entertainment area when Malta was under the rule of the British Empire - so much so that a reservoir which catered for the garden had been converted into a swimming pool.
The area stopped being used because transporting supplies for parties was somewhat inconvenient since the area is situated at the back of the gardens across narrow St Anthony Street. Over the years the area was neglected resulting into a dilapidated overgrowth, with some dangerous structures and broken-down water ducts.
It was subsequently restored and rehabilitated from its derelict state and opened to the public in June 2011.