Moviment Graffitti is maintaining that unless the land occupied by the illegal makeshift car park opposite the Garden of Eden site is reinstated to its original pristine state by the same applicant who is proposing to develop a tourist complex in Wied Babu in Żurrieq, the Planning Authority should not continue to hear the application for a 12-bungalow complex on the Garden of Eden site. The proposal to develop a tourist complex in a Natura 2000 site like Wied Babu is already of great concern, and the activists are calling on the authorities not to take advantage of flawed policies to give free rein to the developers.

A day before the hearing of PA/06673/20, which is due to be heard before the Planning Board tomorrow Thursday, 30 November, the group of activists is demanding that the application to replace the Garden of Eden wedding hall with a 12-bungalow with pools complex is suspended unless the 4,900sq.m car park area, that was originally garigue land and was illegally developed into a car park by the same developer, is restored to its original garigue state as was promised. The ERA and the Planning Authority’s case officer have insisted on the reinstatement of the illegal car park, arguing that the restoration of the car park is an essential prerequisite for the bungalows application to be considered. The activists stated that for some mysterious reason, the application for the reinstatement of the car park was suspended more than a year ago by the Planning Authority at the request of the applicant Maurizio Baldacchino, and to this day it remains frozen. Despite this, the Planning Authority is going ahead with the processing of the tourist development application despite there being no indication about the fate of the land that was illegally turned into a car park and if there is any intention to redress this long-standing illegality.

Beyond the concerns stemming from the illegal car park situation, the activists have claimed that they are greatly concerned by the proposal to build a tourist complex in a Natura 2000 site and an Area of Ecological Importance like Wied Babu. The development of 12 bungalows will see an increase in activity that will no doubt have a negative impact on the sensitive ecosystem of the valley. Moreover, the greenlighting of such a development in Wied Babu and the commitment of the area for touristic use run the risk of creating a very ugly precedent for future similar developments, threatening and disrupting the integrity of the valley in the process.

Although the ex-Planning Authority chairman Johann Buttigieg had assured us of the legality of the Garden of Eden site, it is clear that the development of this site was plagued by illegalities from the very start. The fact that the authorities are justifying and recommending for approval this new tourist complex on the basis that the site is already developed and that the bungalows proposal presents an improvement over the existing situation is not acceptable in light of the effects that this development will have on Wied Babu. The fact that we have flawed policies like the Rural Policy that allow for the rewarding of illegalities on Natura 2000 sites is of great concern.

Moviment Graffitti insists that a new use must be found for the site; one which respects the natural environment and which does not threaten the integrity of the valley. The group is also appealing to the Government that if there is truth to be found in the highly dubious claims by the Baldacchinos that they have ownership over Wied Babu, then the Government should take the necessary steps to expropriate the pathways that lead to the valley so that the people are allowed to enjoy the valley. Wied Babu must be protected and allowed to be enjoyed by all of us.

******

Il-Moviment Graffitti jappella biex l-applikazzjoni tal-Garden of Eden f’Wied Babu tiġi sospiża

Il-Moviment Graffitti qed jisħaq li l-applikazzjoni għal kumpless turistiku bi 12-il bungalow f’Wied Babu, iż-Żurrieq m’għandiex tkompli tinstema’ quddiem l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar qabel ma l-medda ta’ art li ttieħdet b’mod illegali mill-istess applikant biex tintuża bħala parkeġġ faċċata s-sit tiġi mreġġa’ lura għall-istat naturali tagħha. Il-proposta fiha nnifisha li jinbena kumpless turistiku f’sit ta’ Natura 2000 bħal Wied Babu hija diġà ta’ tħassib kbir, u l-attivisti qed jappellaw lill-awtoritajiet biex ma jiħdux vantaġġ minn politiki difettużi biex l-iżviluppatur ikompli jitħalla jagħmel li jrid f’dan is-sit.

Jum qabel is-seduta ta’ PA/06673/20, li se tkompli tinstema’ għada l-Ħamis 30 ta’ Novembru, il-grupp ta’ attivisti qed jappella biex l-applikazzjoni biex jinbnew 12-il bungalow bil-pixxina minflok is-sala tat-tiġijiet Garden of Eden tiġi sospiża sakemm il-medda ta’ art ta’ 4,900sq.m, li orġinarjament kienet xagħri u ttieħdet mill-istess żviluppatur biex tintuża bħala parkeġġ b’mod illegali, ma tiġix irrestawrata lura għax-xagħri kif imwiegħed. L-ERA u l-Case Officer stess tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar saħqu li r-riabilitazzjoni tal-parkeġġ illegali hija essenzjali biex l-applikazzjoni għall-bungalows tkun tista’ tiġi kkunsidrata. L-attivisti qalu li għal raġunijiet misterjużi, l-applikazzjoni biex jiġi rrestawrat il-parkeġġ ġiet sospiża mill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar fuq talba stess tal-applikant Maurizio Baldacchino aktar minn sena ilu u għadha wieqfa sal-lum il-ġurnata. Minkejja dan, l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar qed tmexxi bl-applikazzjoni għall-kumpless turistiku tal-bungalows mingħajr l-ebda indikazzjoni dwar x’se jkun qed jiġri minn l-art meħuda illegalment għall-parkeġġ u jekk din l-illegalità hux se tkun qed tiġi rrettifikata.

Lil hinn mill-kwistjoni tal-parkeġġ illegali, l-attivisti saħqu li huma jinsabu serjament imħassba bil-proposta li jinbena kumpless turistiku f’sit ta’ Natura 2000 u Żona Ekoloġikament Sensittiva bħal din. Il-bini ta’ 12-il bungalow se jkun qed jintensifika l-attività u bla dubju jħalli effetti negattivi fuq l-ekosistema sensittiva tal-wied. Apparti minn dan, jeżisti r-riskju li jekk żvilupp bħal dan jitħalla jsir f’Wied Babu, l-integrità tal-wied jaf tisfa mhedda minn żviluppi futuri oħra simili wara li jkun inħoloq dan il-preċedent għal użu turistiku.

Minkejja li l-eks chairman tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar Johann Buttigieg kien assigurana li s-sit Garden of Eden huwa legali, huwa ċar li l-istorja tal-iżvilupp ta’ dan is-sit hija mittiefsa b’illegalijiet sa mill-bidu nett tagħha. Il-fatt li l-awtoritajiet qed jiġġustifikaw u jirrakkomandaw dan l-iżvilupp turistiku ġdid abbażi tal-fatt li s-sit huwa diġà żviluppat u li l-proposta tal-bungalows tippreżenta użu aħjar tas-sit minn dak attwali mhuwiex aċċettabbli fid-dawl tal-effetti li dan l-iżvilupp se jkollu fuq Wied Babu. Il-fatt li għandna politiki difettużi bħall-Politika Rurali li jippermettu li jiġu ppremjati l-illegalitajiet f’siti ta’ Natura 2000 huwa ta’ tħassib kbir.

Il-Moviment Graffitti jisħaq li dan is-sit għandu jinstablu użu li jirrispetta l-ambjent naturali tal-madwar u li ma jippreżentax dannu għall-integrità tal-wied. Il-grupp qed jappella wkoll lill-Gvern biex jekk hemm xi verità fl-allegazzjonijiet tal-familja Baldacchino li huma għandhom dominju dirett fuq Wied Babu, allura l-Gvern għandu jieħu l-passi meħtieġa biex jesproprja l-passaġġi li jagħtu għall-wied sabiex il-poplu jkun jista’ jgawdih kif inhu xieraq. Wied Babu għandu jiġi mħares u jitħalla jiġi mgawdi minn kulħadd.