Nearly 300 proposals were submitted in a public consultation exercise aimed to find the best way forward on how Ghar Lapsi area is to be regenerated following the damage caused by Storm Harry in January.

The Public Works Department had launched two separate processes aimed at providing significant assistance to the affected local councils.

24 local councils put forward a total of 92 requests, the government said Friday. These requests range from damage to rubble walls, to extensive cleaning operations and structural works.

The Public Works Department is currently assessing the requests received from local councils following the storm. In the meantime, the Department has already begun carrying out works and interventions in these 24 localities wherever there was a danger to the public or a lack of accessibility.

In addition to this immediate assistance, the Parliamentary Secretariat for Public Works, through the Public Works Department, launched a public consultation entitled 'Għar Lapsi - Back to the People.' This process of active dialogue was initiated after the picturesque area of Għar Lapsi in Siġġiewi, an area that attracts thousands of Maltese and tourists and serves as a livelihood for various sectors such as restaurant owners, fishermen, and divers, suffered extensive damage that completely altered both its appearance and accessibility.

Thanks to strong public participation, around 170 proposals have been submitted to date outlining what people would like to see done in Għar Lapsi.

Over the past month, the Department assisted fishermen in hauling their boats ashore and carried out extensive clean-up works to remove debris and material washed onto land. Meanwhile, the Coastal and Flooding Unit within the Public Works Department took steps to close off access to the area to safeguard public health and safety and initiated geological studies on the rock formations along the coastline. These studies will enable the formulation of a comprehensive works plan so that, in the coming period, Għar Lapsi can be restored and returned to the public.

The public consultation 'Għar Lapsi - Back to the People' remains open until 24 February.