Moviment Graffitti is urging the public to submit objections to a proposal by prominent businessmen to take over part of the public Gżira and Sliema coastline and sea for private commercial profit. PA/03174/26 represents yet another attempt to sacrifice the common good to the insatiable greed of a small number of powerful private interests.

Objections can be submitted to the Planning Authority (PA) until 19 June by sending an email to representations@pa.org.mt and citing application number PA/03174/26. An objection template can be found on Moviment Graffitti’s social media pages.

The application proposes reclaiming land from the sea to build a private lido that would further obstruct views and increase congestion along one of Malta’s most heavily frequented promenades. It would permanently alter the shoreline and further privatise public coastal space on an ODZ site designated as public open space under the North Harbour Local Plan.

After years of overdevelopment, Sliema and Gżira are being suffocated by commercialisation. Pavements have been consumed by tables and chairs, skylines obstructed by speculative construction, and public land relentlessly surrendered to private interests through planning decisions that erode the public’s right to its own coast. Now, after devouring so much land, developers are coming for the sea.

The proposal also threatens protected marine habitats and would destroy the seabed through land reclamation. The Planning Authority cannot ignore its obligations under the North Harbour Local Plan, Maltese law, EU environmental law, the Public Domain Act, SPED, and international conventions protecting the coast and marine environment.

Approving this vast development would once again send the message that planning rules can be swept aside when enough money and influence are involved.

The public is entitled to ask why wealthy developers and politically connected interests continue to be prioritised over residents, swimmers, walkers, families, and the wider community who rely on this coastline as one of the few remaining open public spaces in the area.

Moviment Graffitti demands the full refusal of PA/03174/26 and a serious, genuine, and holistic assessment of environmental and social impacts across planning decisions to prevent the continued normalisation of destructive and predatory development.

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“Wara li Belgħu l-Art, Se Jduru għall-Baħar”: il-Moviment Graffitti iħeġġeġ lill-pubbliku joġġezzjona għall-applikazzjoni tal-mistħija għal lido

Il-Moviment Graffitti qed iħeġġeġ lill-pubbliku jissottometti oġġezzjonijiet għal proposta minn negozjanti prominenti biex jaħtfu parti mill-kosta u l-baħar pubbliku tal-Gżira u ta’ Tas-Sliema għal profitt kummerċjali privat. PA/03174/26 tirrappreżenta tentattiv ieħor biex jiġi ssagrifikat il-ġid komuni għar-regħba bla rażan ta’ numru żgħir ta’ interessi privati b’saħħithom.

L-oġġezzjonijiet jistgħu jintbagħtu lill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar (PA) sad-19 ta’ Ġunju permezz ta’ email lil representations@pa.org.mt u billi jiġi kkwotat in-numru tal-applikazzjoni PA/03174/26. Test tal-oġġezzjoni jinsab fuq il-paġni tal-media soċjali tal-Moviment Graffitti.

L-applikazzjoni tipproponi li tittieħed art mill-baħar biex jinbena lido privat li jkompli jostakola l-veduti u jżid il-konġestjoni tul waħda mill-aktar promenades frekwentati ta’ Malta. Dan ser ibiddel il-kosta b’mod permanenti u jkompli jipprivatizza l-ispazju pubbliku kostali f’sit ODZ imfassal bħala spazju miftuħ pubbliku skont il-Pjan Lokali tal-Portijiet tat-Tramuntana.

Wara snin ta’ żvilupp eċċessiv, Tas-Sliema u l-Gżira qed jiġu fgati mill-kummerċjalizzazzjoni. Il-bankini ttieħdu mill-imwejjed u s-siġġijiet, l-iskylines ġew ostakolati minn żvilupp spekulattiv, u ħafna art pubblika ngħatat għal interessi privati permezz ta’ deċiżjonijiet tal-ippjanar li jnaqqru mid-dritt tal-pubbliku għall-kosta tiegħu stess. Issa, wara li ħadu tant art, l-iżviluppaturi qed iduru għall-baħar.

Il-proposta hija ta’ theddida wkoll għal ħabitats tal-baħar protetti u ser teqred qiegħ il-baħar bir-reklamazzjoni tal-art. L-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar ma tistax tinjora l-obbligi tagħha skont il-Pjan Lokali tal-Portijiet tat-Tramuntana, il-liġi Maltija, il-liġi ambjentali tal-UE, l-Att dwar id-Dominju Pubbliku, l-iSPED, u l-konvenzjonijiet internazzjonali li jipproteġu l-kosta u l-ambjent tal-baħar.

L-approvazzjoni ta’ dan l-iżvilupp enormi tkun qed terġa’ tibgħat il-messaġġ li r-regoli tal-ippjanar jistgħu jitwarrbu meta jkun hemm biżżejjed flus u influwenza fin-nofs.

Il-pubbliku għandu d-dritt li jistaqsi għaliex l-iżviluppaturi li għandhom il-flus u l-interessi relatati mal-politika jibqgħu jingħataw prijorità fuq ir-residenti, l-għawwiema, kull min iħobb jimxi, il-familji, u l-komunità usa’ li jiddependu minn din il-kosta bħala wieħed mill-ftit spazji pubbliċi miftuħa li fadal fl-inħawi.

Il-Moviment Graffitti jitlob li l-applikazzjoni PA/03174/26 tiġi rifjutata kompletament u li ssir valutazzjoni serja, ġenwina, u olistika tal-impatti ambjentali u soċjali fid-deċiżjonijiet tal-ippjanar biex titwaqqaf in-normalizzazzjoni kontinwa ta’ żvilupp distruttiv u predatorju.