On Wednesday May 16, we, residents of Pembroke, with the support of NGOs, came together to protest against db Group’s proposal to build a 37 floor tower and a 19 storey resort hotel with 454 rooms and to reiterate our strong opposition to the monstrous project that, if approved, will bury us alive. Pembroke residents in the Do Not Bury Us Alive campaign and representatives of NGOs and local councils spoke at the end of the non-partisan protest march. 

This is a protest by the community that is in favour of the common good and rejects the interests of the greedy few. This construction frenzy will also affect the thousands of people who visit Pembroke every day to make use of its educational, sports and infrastructural facilities, and to enjoy its free open spaces of natural beauty. As common citizens and NGOs, we appeal to the authorities to protect our fundamental rights for peace and tranquillity, for secure public spaces, clean air, and access to sunlight. The permanent shade caused by the proposed buildings will wreck the basic quality of life of people and ruin the investments made in solar energy systems, which were supported by EU and national public funds.

The protest march started in Triq Pietru D’Armenia, in the heart of the residential area of social apartement blocks, and moved towards the ITS site, because this is the area that will be most hit by this inhumane project. The residents here will bear the brunt of the incessant noise and upheaval brought about by db Group’s unjust and arrogant proposal. But the project will also bring unlimited commercialization, traffic and hazardous dust to St Julians and Swieqi.

If approved, this “madness,” as many have described it, will add 7500 cars to the already congested roads in Pembroke, Swieqi, St Andrews and St Julians and the ‘ghost’ or ‘fantasy’ tunnel that has been mentioned cannot offer a real solution both because there are no concrete plans to build it and because it cannot solve a range of negative effects, including severe noise and air pollution, the health conditions that come with them, and the confusion the building will cause. In the many years that it will take to build the tower and hotel, the residents and commuters will have to face untold of inconveniences, day and night. The developers are even proposing the setting up of a concrete making plant on site, next to people’s homes, and they have not even proposed real solutions to the unprecedented amount of construction waste that the works will generate. The whole country will have to solve db waste problems.

There have already been a record number of officially registered objections to the project and we hope that the Planning Authority will respect its own rules and refuse permission for the project to be built. The objection period has started and the general public has until Friday 25th May to formally object to this project with the Planning Authority. Those who would like to object can follow this link: http://pa.movimentgraffitti.org/permit/1. You simply need to input your name and email address in order to submit an objection that has been prepared by residents and NGOs. 

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Kontra l-proġett tad-db flok l-ITS f’Pembroke

Illum l-Erbgħa 16 ta’ Mejju, aħna r-residenti, bl-appoġġ tal-għaqdiet mhux governattivi, iltqajna f’Pembroke, fil-post fejn db Group irid jibni torri ta’ 37 sular u maġenbu lukanda ta’ 19-il sular u 454 kamra, biex nistqarru għal darb’oħra li aħna kontra dan il-proġett mostruż li jekk isir se jidfinna ħajjin. Waqt il-protesta mhux partiġġjana tkellmu residenti li huma involuti fil-kampanja Tidfnuniex Ħajjin!, u rappreżentanti tal-għaqdiet mhux governattivi u l-kunsill lokali.

Din kienet protesta tal-komunità li tħares biss lejn il-ġid komuni u tiċħad ir-regħba tal-ftit, għax minbarra l-eluf li jgħixu fostna, Pembroke huwa raħal li kuljum iżuruh eluf ta’ nies minħabba l-faċilitajiet edukattivi, sportivi u infrastrutturali, u l-ispazji naturali pubbliċi li joffri. Bħala ċittadini u għaqdiet, nappellaw lill-awtoritajiet biex iħarsu d-drittijiet fundamentali tagħna għal ħajja tranwilla, spazji pubbliċi mingħajr biża’, arja nadifa, u aċċess għad-dawl u x-xemx. Id-dellijiet permanenti li se joħloq dal-bini se jirrovina l-kwalità tal-ħajja tan-nies u jħarbat l-investimenti kollha li saru f’impjanti li jaħdmu bix-xemx u li saru bl-għajnuna finanzjarja tal-UE u l-fondi pubbliċi. .

Għall-protesta ltqajna fil-pjazzetta ta’ Triq Pietru D’Armenia u mxejna flimkien sas-sit tal-ITS għax dawn huma l-inħawi residenzjali li se jindifnu għal dejjem taħt il-ġenn u l-istorbju li jrid jimponi db Group bil-proġett inġust tiegħu li qed jħedded mhux biss lil Pembroke iżda wkoll lis-Swieqi u San Ġiljan b’kummerċjalizzazzjoni bla rażan, b’traffiku ma jaqta’ xejn, u bit-trab perikoluż li se jiġġenera.

Jekk isir dan il-proġett “ġennata”, kif sejħulu bosta nies, se jkollna mas-7500 karozza iżjed fit-toroq ta’ Pembroke, is-Swieqi, St Andrews u San Ġiljan kuljum, u l-proġett fantażma tal-mina fl-inħawi ma jistax jitqies bħala soluzzjoni għax huwa biss ħolma u ma jsolvix il-firxa ta’ problemi ta’ storbju, tniġġis, mard, ġenn, u konfużjoni li se jġib miegħu dan il-proġett, kemm hu u jinbena kif ukoll wara li jitlesta. Fis-snin li se jdum jinbena jekk isir, jekk joħloq sitwazzjoni insopportabbli għal kull min jgħix u jaħdem f’dawn l-inħawi u kull min jgħaddi minn hemm. Il-bini se jirrikjedi t-tqegħid ta’ impjant tal-konkos fuq il-post u se joħloq għadd kbir ħafna ta’ skart tal-kostruzzjoni li l-iżviluppaturi ma jafux x’se jaqbdu jagħmlu bih u se jwikkuh lill-pajjiż kollu.

Diġà sar numru rekord ta’ oġġezzjonijiet uffiċjali kontra dan il-proġett u nittamaw li l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar tirrispetta r-regoli tagħha stess u tirrifjuta l-permessi biex jinbena. Fadal sal-Ġimgħa 25 ta’ Mejju sabiex in-nies jagħmlu l-oġġezzjoni formali tagħhom li tista’ ssir permezz ta’ din il-ħolqa: http://pa.movimentgraffitti.org/permit/1. Dawk li jridu joġġezzjonaw kemm jiktbu isimhom u l-indirizz elettroniku tagħhom u jissottomettu oġġezzjoni li tħejjiet mir-residenti u l-għaqdiet. Wara li jagħlaq il-perjodu għall-oġġezzjonijiet, il-Bord tal-Ippjanar fi ħdan l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar irid jiddeċiedi dwar dan il-proġett.

Din il-protesta ġiet organizzata mir-residenti saret bl-appoġġ tal-Moviment Graffitti, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Din l-Art Ħelwa, Nature Trust (Malta), Friends of the Earth (Malta) u attivisti fil-Kamp Emerġenza Ambjent. Ħadu sehem ukoll l-Kunsilli ta’ Pembroke, San Ġiljan u s-Swieqi.