Valletta must be kept alive - FAA

The re-location of the Valletta open market is another piecemeal decision which adds to Valletta’s intrinsic problem – the lack of holistic urban management of our capital, Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar said. It said in a statement that the choice of Ordnance Street was far from ideal, but nor was the Merchants’ Street site, right behind the Magisterial Palace, with hawkers hanging their wares directly on the Palace walls. “Is a uniform design for the stalls planned, plus inclusion of local arts and crafts which would upgrade the market and widen its appeal? The hawkers’ representative’s statement that some of the stalls will have to be located between the new Parliament building and the old Opera House, indicates the worst possible planning.” FAA said that Valletta’s problems extended far beyond the market: since the relaxation of change of use regulations, Valletta real estate was targeted for offices or foreign buyers. “While it is positive that foreigners are restoring heritage properties, this is pushing them beyond the price-bracket of Maltese families. Since many foreign-owned homes are only used for a few weeks a year, in the evening parts of Valletta are becoming more of a...