Sliema Residents Are Still Waiting: What Is the Status of These Long-Pending Issues?

Sliema residents have been raising many of the same problems for months — and in some cases for years.

Some improvements have been made and, where good work is carried out, it should absolutely be acknowledged. But a long list of unresolved problems remains.

We are therefore asking Mayor John Pillow, the Deputy Mayor and Sliema Local Council for a clear public update.

🌳 Independence Garden: What Is Actually Happening?

Independence Garden remains one of Sliema’s most important public spaces, yet several parts of it have been allowed to deteriorate for far too long.

One of the most obvious examples is the fountain and bridge area.

The fountain has reportedly been in a poor condition for around five years. Residents were previously told that a project was planned for this part of the garden.

So what is the current position?

• ❓ Is the proposed project still going ahead?
• ❓ Has it been delayed?
• ❓ Has it been shelved?
• ❓ If it is still happening, when are works expected to begin?

📸 Independence Garden — Then & Now

This area was once an attractive feature of the garden. Today residents are still waiting to see what will happen to it.

THEN: The fountain and bridge when the feature was maintained and functioning.

NOW: Residents have been waiting years for a permanent solution.

If a major redevelopment is not going to take place soon, residents have also suggested a much simpler interim solution: tidy the area, fill the unused section properly and introduce shrubs or landscaping.

Why has this not been considered?

A public garden should not have to remain in a visibly unfinished condition for years simply because a larger project has not yet materialised.

🪑 Broken Benches, Umbrellas & General Maintenance

There are also smaller maintenance problems throughout Independence Garden that should not require major projects or years of planning.

• 🪑 Broken or damaged benches need repairing.
• 🎨 The umbrellas and other structures could do with cleaning and repainting.
• 🌿 Landscaping should be maintained consistently.
• 🧹 Corners, seating areas and public furniture need more regular deep cleaning.

Basic maintenance carried out regularly prevents small problems from becoming expensive ones later.

⚪ The Rotating Ball: Months Behind Hoarding

The rotating ball has now been surrounded by hoarding for months.

Residents would simply like to know:

• 🔧 What work is being carried out?
• ⏳ Why has it taken so long?
• 📅 When will the hoarding finally be removed?

🚻 Public Toilets: Independence Garden & Fortizza

Public toilets are essential infrastructure along one of Malta’s busiest promenades.

The facilities at Independence Garden require proper maintenance and residents would appreciate an update on any planned refurbishment or improvement.

The toilets next to Fortizza are also currently surrounded by temporary fencing and appear to be undergoing works.

It is positive to see activity taking place, but when are the works expected to be completed and the facilities fully reopened?

♻️ BCRS: Is This Still the Right Location?

The BCRS installation and the area surrounding it continue to generate complaints from residents.

The question is not whether bottle recycling is needed — clearly it is — but whether this particular location is being properly managed and whether it remains appropriate.

Residents would like the Council to clarify:

• ♻️ Has relocation been considered?
• 📍 Are alternative locations being assessed?
• 🧹 Who is responsible for cleanliness around the machines?
• 👮 What is being done when the surrounding area becomes a nuisance?

⚠️ Reports of Anti-Social Behaviour Around the Area

We would like the Local Council to formally raise this with the police and community police and request appropriate patrols and enforcement.

🚧 Public Land Is for the Public: Who Is Checking Commercial Encroachment?

Another growing concern is the gradual occupation of public pavements, squares and other public areas by commercial businesses.

Tables, chairs, planters, signs, barriers and other commercial items can slowly spread beyond the areas originally intended for them.

Residents would like to know:

• 🔍 How often are commercial encroachments inspected?
• 📏 Who checks that businesses stay within their authorised footprint?
• 🚶 Is minimum pedestrian access being protected?
• ♿ Are accessibility requirements taken into account?
• ⚖️ What happens when a business occupies more public land than it is permitted to use?

Businesses are important to Sliema — but public space must remain public.

🏖️ Taħt il-Kunvent: What Happened to the Sea-Access Platform?

Residents were previously told about a proposed wooden platform to improve access to the sea at Taħt il-Kunvent.

What happened to it?

Was it:

• ❌ cancelled;
• ⏳ delayed;
• 📋 awaiting approval;
• or is it still expected to be built?

Residents would appreciate an update.

🌊 Taħt il-Kunvent Beach Upgrade

There has also been talk of improvements to this bathing area.

If works are planned, the obvious request is that they are completed before summer 2027, rather than beginning once another bathing season is already underway.

Wooden handrails and handles used by swimmers to enter and leave the sea should also be inspected and repaired or replaced where necessary.

🚶 Dangerous Pavements: When Will Repairs Begin?

Some pavements across Sliema are in a genuinely poor and dangerous condition.

Uneven paving, broken surfaces, narrow passages and obstacles can be particularly difficult for:

• 👴 older residents;
• ♿ people with reduced mobility;
• 👶 parents with pushchairs;
• 🚶 pedestrians generally.

Residents should not have to walk in the road because the pavement is unusable.

We would like to know when the next programme of repairs will begin and which streets are included.

🌊 The Promenade: Loose Tiles, Cleaning & Maintenance

The Sliema promenade is one of the most heavily used public spaces in Malta, yet numerous sections have loose or uneven paving.

These are not simply cosmetic problems. They can become genuine trip hazards.

When is a proper programme of repair or upgrading planned?

🧹 The Promenade Needs Proper Cleaning Too

Mechanical sweeping alone does not reach every corner.

Street furniture, planters, walls, steps and areas around structures need regular deeper cleaning.

The circular planters close to the old petrol station are another example. Some shrubs have died, apparently without being replaced.

• 🌱 Dead plants should be replaced.
• 💧 New planting needs regular watering.
• 🧹 Planters need cleaning.
• 🎨 Public structures need periodic maintenance.

🏠 Residential Streets: What About the Areas Where People Actually Live?

A lot of cleaning attention is naturally concentrated on the promenade and around commercial areas.

But residents repeatedly complain that some of the streets behind the seafront are filthy.

They need more than occasional sweeping.

The people living in these streets pay taxes too.

🗑️ Rubbish: How Many Years Do Residents Have to Raise the Same Complaint?

Waste remains one of the most persistent complaints in Sliema.

Every year the same issues are raised:

• 🗑️ rubbish bags placed outside long before collection;
• 🏠 waste linked to short-let accommodation;
• 🏪 commercial waste;
• ♻️ incorrect separation of rubbish;
• 🚶 bags blocking pavements;
• ☀️ waste left sitting in the heat for hours.

Yet residents continue to see the same problems.

Residents deserve transparent information:

• 👮 How many inspections are carried out?
• 💶 How many fines are issued?
• 🏠 Are short-let properties being specifically checked?
• 🏪 Are businesses being checked for waste compliance?
• 📊 Are enforcement statistics published?

🚬 Cigarette Butts & Dirty Rocky Beaches

Sliema’s rocky bathing areas also suffer from another persistent problem: cigarette butts.

Butts become lodged between rocks and in cracks where ordinary sweeping equipment cannot reach them.

A specific solution is needed.

• 🧹 Proper tools for cleaning rocky beaches.
• 🚮 More appropriate disposal points.
• 🚭 Enforcement against littering.
• 🏖️ Regular manual cleaning in areas mechanical sweepers cannot reach.

Our beaches should not become ashtrays.

⛽ The Closed Petrol Station: Why Is This Site Still Being Left Like This?

The former petrol station remains one of the most obvious eyesores along the Sliema seafront.

The old structures and pumps remain, while residents have reported rubbish and various items being stored around the site.

The raised platform adjoining the promenade has also been raised as a trip hazard.

If another permit or redevelopment is planned for this site, that still does not explain why the existing area should be allowed to remain neglected in the meantime.

🎨 Gazebos & Public Furniture

Sliema’s gazebos and other public structures also need routine maintenance.

• 🧼 Give them a proper deep clean.
• 🎨 Repaint structures where paint is deteriorating.
• 🔧 Repair damaged fittings.
• 🪑 Fix broken benches and furniture promptly.

These are relatively small interventions that can make a considerable difference to the appearance of a public area.

👏 Credit Where It Is Due: Well Done on the Wall Near Surfside

This is exactly why residents continue to push on the other outstanding issues.

When action is taken, the improvement is obvious.

📢 Residents Want Answers — and Timelines

💬 What Have We Missed?

Do you live in Sliema? Are there other long-standing problems, unfinished projects or public areas that need attention?

Let us know in the comments or submit a report to Malta Gone Wild.