What happens when the few rules that are still in place to protect quality of life are hindering developers from doing whatever they want? Very simple. They change the rules.

Moviment Graffitti is disgusted by the decision of the Prime Minister Robert Abela to change the Local Plan to accommodate the project of Anton Camilleri, Tal-Franċiż, at Villa Rosa. According to media reports, which the Prime Minister did not deny, the Government has just given instructions to the Planning Authority to change the Local Plan so that Tal-Franċiż would be able to build three towers, of between 27 and 34 floors each, bury St George’s bay and the historic Villa Rosa building, and swallow the only open space left between St Julian’s and Pembroke.

A savage project of this dimension, that will be built near another monster, that of db, will leave a devastating impact on the environment and quality of life in an already congested area.  The residents of three localities – St Julian’s, Pembroke and Swieqi – will experience directly the horrid consequences of this insatiable greed. 

This piece of news continues to show the coup d’état of developers on our institutions. Having the Government change the rules of the game to enhance the wealth of Anton Camilleri is another example of how the common good has been thrown out of the window in order to increase the wealth of developers. In the case of Villa Rosa, the Government has already donated a public alley for the ridiculous sum of 133,800 euro to the developer so that he would be able to build this atrocity. 

The excuse of the Prime Minister Robert Abela that we need this type of project to attract wealthy tourists is simply ridiculous. If the tourism of the wealthy calls for such monstrosities, this means that the tourism of the wealthy is even less sustainable than other forms of tourism.

The news of the changes in the Local Plan in order to accommodate Tal-Franċiż came within a context of other alarming news. A few weeks ago, the Planning Authority approved a project of Joseph Portelli in Sannat just after being declared illegal by the courts. Currently, there are a number of other applications for projects that had their permit cancelled by the court, such as the illegal pools of Joseph Portelli on ODZ in Qala. The Government has reached the point of making a mockery of the courts to accommodate developers. 

At the same time, the reform promised 17 months ago regarding the appeals law – a law currently allowing developers to continue building even without a definitive permit – has not yet materialised.

The rule of law and the basic rights of the people are collapsing and in their stead we are seening the rise of the rule of developers.

We would also like to express our disgust at the shameful role of the Nationalist Opposition in all this. The deafening silence of the Opposition in the face of this horrific situation proves how the Nationalist Party is in the pocket of developers as much as the Government.  The attendance of the leader of the Nationalist Party at the opening of the db monster – which is being built on land stolen from the people and which will make life hell for thousands of residents – is symbolic of the immense power that developers have on the Maltese political class. 

We are in the middle of an environmental emergency and a serious threat to democracy. In front of all this, it is only the people who can rebel against the fast destruction of our country by greed and corruption.

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Villa Rosa – Is-saltna tal-iżviluppaturi u s-salvaġiżmu tar-regħba qegħdin ifarrku lil pajjiżna

X’jiġri meta l-ftit regoli li hemm biex iħarsu l-kwalità tal-ħajja ma jħallux lill-iżviluppaturi jagħmlu li jridu? Sempliċi. Jibdlu r-regoli.

Il-Moviment Graffitti jinsab diżgustat bid-deċiżjoni tal-Prim Ministru Robert Abela li jibdel il-Pjan Lokali biex jakkomoda l-proġett ta’ Anton Camilleri, Tal-Franċiż, f’Villa Rosa. Skont rapporti fil-media, li l-Prim Ministru ma ċaħadx, il-Gvern għadu kemm ta istruzzjonijiet lill-Awtorità’ tal-Ippjanar biex tibdel il-Pjan Lokali ħalli Tal-Franċiż ikun jista’ jibni tliet torrijiet, bejn 34 sular u 27 il-wieħed, jidfen il-bajja San Ġorġ u l-binja storika ta’ Villa Rosa, u jibla’ l-aħħar spazju miftuħ bejn San Ġiljan u Pembroke.

Proġett salvaġġ ta’ dan it-tip, li ser jinbena ħdejn mostru ieħor, dak tad-db, ser iħalli impatt devastanti fuq l-ambjent u l-kwalità tal-ħajja f’żona diġà kkonġestjonata. Ir-residenti ta’ tliet lokalitajiet sħaħ – San Ġiljan, Pembroke u s-Swieqi – se jġarrbu direttament il-konsegwenzi tal-biża’ ta’ din ir-regħba bla qies.

Din l-aħbar tkompli turi kemm bħalissa f’pajjiżna għaddej kolp ta’ stat mill-iżviluppaturi fuq l-istituzzjonijiet tagħna. Li l-Gvern jibdel ir-regoli tal-logħba biex jakkomoda l-qligħ ta’ Anton Camilleri huwa eżempju ieħor ta’ kif il-ġid komuni ġie mormi fiż-żibel ħalli minfloku jitkattar il-ġid tal-iżviluppaturi. Fil-każ ta’ Villa Rosa, il-Gvern diġà ta sqaq pubbliku għas-somma redikola ta’ 133,800 euro lill-iżviluppatur biex ikun jista’ jibni din l-atroċità

L-iskuża tal-Prim Ministru Robert Abela li neħtieġu proġetti ta’ dan it-tip minħabba t-turiżmu tas-sinjuri hija sempliċiment redikola. Jekk it-turiżmu tas-sinjuri jitlob dan it-tip ta’ mostrożitajiet, allura jfisser biss li t-turiżmu tas-sinjuri huwa saħansitra inqas sostenibbli minn turiżmu ieħor.

L-aħbar tal-bdil fil-Pjan Lokali biex jakkomodaw lil Tal-Franċiż ġiet fil-kuntest ta’ ħafna aħbarijiet allarmanti oħra. Ftit tal-ġimgħat ilu, l-Awtorità’ tal-Ippjanar approvat proġett ta’ Joseph Portelli f’Ta’ Sannat wara li din kien għadu kemm ġie ddikjarat illegali mill-qrati. Bħalissa hemm numru ta’ applikazzjonijiet oħra għal proġetti li kellhom il-permess tagħhom imħassar mill-qrati, bħall-pixxini illegali ta’ Joseph Portelli fl-ODZ tal-Qala. Il-Gvern wasal sal-punt li jitmejjel bil-qrati biex ipaxxi lill-iżviluppaturi.

Fl-istess waqt, ir-riforma mwiegħda 17-il xahar ilu fil-liġi tal-appelli – liġi li bħalissa tħalli lill-iżviluppaturi jibnu meta ma jkollhomx permess definittiv – għad m’hemmx ħjiel tagħha.

Is-saltna tad-dritt u d-drittjiet bażiċi tal-poplu qegħdin jiġġarfu għal kollox ħalli fuqhom tinbena s-saltna tal-iżviluppaturi.

Nesprimu wkoll id-diżgust tagħna għall-irwol tal-mistħija tal-Oppożizzjoni Nazzjonalista f’dan kollu. Is-skiet itarrax mill-Oppożizzjoni quddiem din is-sitwazzjoni tal-waħx hija xhieda li l-Partit Nazzjonalista huwa fil-but tal-iżviluppaturi daqs kemm huwa l-Gvern. L-attendenza tal-kap tal-Partit Nazzjonalista għall-ftuħ tal-mostru tad-db – li qiegħed jinbena fuq art misruqa mill-poplu u se jagħmel il-ħajja nfern għal eluf ta residenti – hija simbolika ta’ kemm l-iżviluppaturi għandhom ħakma assoluta fuq il-klassi politika Maltija.

Ninsabu f’nofs emerġenza ambjentali u theddia serja għad-demokrazija. Quddiem dan kollu, huwa biss il-poplu li jista’ jirribella kontra l-qerda mgħaġġla ta’ pajjiżna mir-regħba u l-korruzzjoni.