€1 million upgrade for Romeo Romano garden in Santa Venera

A multi-million, multi-functional project for the Romeo Romano Garden in Santa Venera has been announced by environment minister Aaron Farrugia.

Farrugia said the open space, currently closed off to the public, will address the need for a green lung in an urbanised locality.

The first phase is a €1 million children’s play area using natural materials such as wood; a communal garden dedicated to gardening activities for children; and other maintenance work on the walls and historical features such as the ‘sienja’, the rainwater reservoir, and the 19th century canal irrigation system.

“This project will improve the health and wellbeing of residents leading to a better quality of life as it will provide a safe and tranquil environment for Maltese families to enjoy. This project can serve as an example for similar projects which aim to minimise the use of material such as plastic and concrete by opting for wood materials as part of a new concept,” Farrugia said.

WasteServ CEO Richard Bilocca said that GreenServ, which will be responsible for implementing this project, will ensure that all works are compatible with the site, respecting the gardens’ historical and cultural value whilst also respecting the environment.

The second phase of this project will also involve the restoration of an historic building, which is currently abandoned, in order to serve as a kitchen garden similar to the one in San Anton. GreenServ will be implementing this project among various others with the purpose of improving people’s quality of life by adding a new level of greening in urban areas.