Over 6,000 objections to the db Group’s application for the excavation of the former ITS site (PA/05533/19) have been submitted to the Planning Authority, an all-time record. This adds to the over 4,500 objections that had been submitted to the db Group’s application for the City Centre project on the former ITS site (PA/03807/17).  The permit issued for the entire project, including the excavation part, had been struck down by the courts earlier this year. 

In July, organisations, Local Councils and residents had condemned this new application for standalone excavation as a clear attempt to evade a holistic evaluation of the full impact of the development, since this application is separate from the one already submitted by the company two years ago, but concerns the same project. This application for large scale excavation had been processed within a week, with no indication of what is to become of the excavation waste. The proposed excavation of the site also extends below the Grade 2 Scheduled building and the Cold War bunker, whilst still stating that these buildings were to somehow be ‘retained’. Excavation can also endanger the Ħarq Ħamiem cave and its surroundings, an area of natural, geological and scientific importance.

The sheer number of objections continues to evidence the widespread opposition to this project which has attracted criticism from all quarters. In July, all Local Councils around Malta and Gozo declared themselves against the project when a motion put forward in the Local Councils Association by Mario Fava, saying that the project will harm the quality of life for thousands of residents, was unanimously approved.

Residents, Local Councils and organisations will continue with their efforts to stop this db’s monument to greed; a project which shows total disrespect to residents and the environment, benefitting only those who will be raking in millions from land speculation. 

Local Councils: Pembroke, St. Julian’s and Swieqi

NGOs: Archaeological Society of Malta, Bicycle Advocacy Group, BirdLife Malta, Din l-Art Ħelwa, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Friends of the Earth Malta, Isles of the Left, Moviment Graffitti, Nature Trust Malta and Ramblers Association

Numru rekord ta’ oġġezzjonijiet għall-applikazzjoni tad-db Group għall-iskavar tal-eks sit tal-ITS

Numru rekord ta’ iktar minn 6,000 oġġezzjoni għall-iskavar mid-db Group tas-sit fejn qabel kien hemm l-ITS (PA/05533/19) ġew sottomessi lill-PA. Dan ikompli jżid ma’ ‘l fuq minn 4,500 oġġezzjoni li kienu diġà saru kontra d-db fir-rigward tas-City Centre Project fuq l-istess sit (PA/03807/17). Aktar kmieni din is-sena, dan l-istess permess, inkluż l-iskavar, ġie annullat mill-Qorti.

F’Lulju, diversi għaqdiet, Kunsilli Lokali u residenti ikkundannaw din l-applikazzjoni ġdida għal skavar waħdu bħala attentat ċar ta’ kif wieħed jipprova jevadi valutazzjoni sħiħa tal-impatt li se jġib miegħu dan l-iżvilupp. Wieħed irid iżomm f’moħħu li din l-applikazzjoni hija separata minn dik li ġiet sottomessa mill-kumpanija sentejn ilu, iżda hija xorta waħda parti mill-istess proġett. Din l-applikazzjoni ta’ skavar fuq skala kbira ġiet ipproċessata f’ġimgħa biss, u ma tagħti l-ebda indikazzjoni x’ser jiġri mill-iskart tal-iskavar. L-istess skavar se jkun qiegħed ukoll jestendi ruħu taħt bunker tal-Gwerra Bierda u binja li hija skedata bħala grad 2. Dan filwaqt li qed jiġi misterjożament sostnut li dawn il-binijiet se jibqgħu jżommu l-istruttura tagħhom. Dan l-iskavar ser ikun qiegħed ukoll jipperikola bil-kbir l-għar u l-madwar ta’ Ħarq Ħammiem, sit ta’ importanza naturali, ġeoloġika u xjentifika.

Dan in-numru rekord ta’ oġġezzjonijiet ikompli juri kemm hija wiesa’ u qawwija l-oppożizzjoni għal dan il-proġett li ġie kkritikat minn ħafna nies u entitajiet differenti. F’Lulju, il-Kunsilli Lokali kollha ta’ Malta u Għawdex iddikjaraw li huma kontra dan il-proġett meta mozzjoni ta’ Mario Fava fl-Assoċjazzjoni tal-Kunsilli Lokali, liema mozzjoni tgħid li l-proġett se jkollu impatt negattiv ferm fuq il-kwalità tal-ħajja ta’ eluf ta’ residenti, ġiet approvata b’mod unanimu.

Residenti, Kunsilli Lokali u għaqdiet ser jibqgħu għaddejjin bl-isforz tagħhom biex iwaqqfu dan il-monument għar-regħba tad-db; proġett li juri diżrispett totali lejn ir-residenti u l-ambjent, u li ħa jibbenefikaw minnu biss dawk li se jaqilgħu il-miljuni mill-ispekulazzjoni tal-art.  

Kunsilli Lokali: Pembroke, San Ġiljan u s-Swieqi

NGOs: Archaeological Society of Malta, Bicycle Advocacy Group, BirdLife Malta, Din l-Art Ħelwa, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Friends of the Earth Malta, Isles of the Left, Moviment Graffitti, Nature Trust Malta u Ramblers Association