Of building sites and unfinished developments

As someone who is reasonably well travelled in Europe, a recent first trip to Malta was in itself an adventure I was looking forward too. I was not disappointed.

I had been pre-warned however by a few that it was ‘a bit of a building site’, but then so is much of Spain so no great deterrent there.

I was based near Spinola Bay which I hesitate to say has the potential to be delightful but currently falls into the category of ‘could do better’.

It was with some interest therefore that I read in the Maltese media (on Sunday last) of a proposed land reclamation project that would extend the shoreline out in front of the nearby Hilton in Portomaso for the purpose of yet more development. It has the makings of a folly in my view, and why bother?

From a pleasant bar on the Spinola waterfront the skyline is dominated by tower cranes that did not move. There are unfinished developments all around, contrasting greatly with those that are occupied and on the whole look very smart. Then there are the possibilities for sympathetic refurbishment of Malta’s wonderful historic houses.

As a visitor who will return, may I suggest one of the policies your parties could adopt at the upcoming elections should be “finish off what we have started before embarking on white elephant developments”?

Tourism plays a big part in Malta’s future so to develop policies that encourage a bit of tidying up and investment in what you already have may be no bad thing.

Mike Waring (Freelance journalist) Stroud Gloucestershire, UK