At the site where proposals are being considered by the Planning Authority for the development of two supermarkets and a hotel, Carmel Cacopardo, ADPD’s Deputy Chairperson introduced Brian Decelis, who shall contest the Local Council elections in Marsascala for ADPD – The Green Party. 

Cacopardo said that the Local Councils need to voice their concerns much more regarding unrelenting development and that it is destroying the urban fabric of our localities. He spoke about the pending planning applications for supermarkets in Marsascala and stated that besides the generation of lots of traffic, they will have a detrimental impact on the small and medium-sized shops in the locality. These smaller shops are an integral part of the social fabric of the locality: The service they provide is needed for the self-sufficiency of the localities.  

On the same site, there is a proposal for the construction of a hotel, even though at the same time the site of the former  Jerma Hotel will be developed into  blocks of apartments! This, when it’s an established fact that in our country, there are or are projected, more than double the number of hotel beds required, according to a study published by the MHRA. This is yet another case in point where the Planning Authority is failing in its duty to regulate land use wisely, since it is expected that we will far exceed the hospitality facilities than the country actually needs, eventually resulting in shutdowns and bankruptcies. Moreover, tourism should not come at the expense of the quality of life of residents. 

It is necessary to have Local Councillors who are capable of safeguarding the locality in a holistic manner with a vision of the future. Local Councils must not play the role of the Customer Care desk of Central Government. 

ADPD’s candidate for Marsascala’s local council, Brian Decelis, said that when ADPD, together with NGOs and residents protested against the Marina project, they hadn’t only objected to the environmental impacts that this would have, but also against the rampant commercialisation of the locality that this would have had.

Marsascala must continue to remain considered as a residential town, and despite its expansion, the needs of its residents must remain paramount, rather than the needs of property speculators. Areas which are hardly disturbed, such as at the sites where the two supermarkets and the hotel have been applied for, are to be safeguarded, stated Decelis. It is highly noteworthy that in both these cases, the Marsascala Local Council registered its objections, as it should, as when proposals for development run contrary to the residents’ interests. 

We need a stop to the abuse towards the residents’ rights to a liveable locality. This includes cases where tables and chairs are hoarding pavements and excessively loud music of some establishments till late into the night. The remaining rural areas in the locality, such as those around St. Thomas Bay must not be allowed to degenerate into dumps or become entertainment spots. 

As a Marsascala Local Councillor, Brian Decelis promises to ensure that the fair balance between business and the needs and wishes of residents is kept. Marsascala is, first and foremost, a residential locality. 

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ADPD isejjaħ biex jitħarsu kif il-bliet tagħna jibqgħu abitabbli

Quddiem is-sit fejn hemm proposti quddiem l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar biex jinbnew żewġ supermarkets u anke lukanda Carmel Cacopardo, Deputat Chairperson ta’ ADPD introduċa lil Brian Decelis li se jikkontesta l-elezzjoni għall-Kunsill Lokali ta’ Marsaskala f’ isem ADPD – The Green Party.

Il-Kunsilli Lokali, qal Cacopardo għandhom isemmgħu iktar leħinhom dwar l-iżvilupp sfrenat li għaddej u li qiegħed jeqred it-tessut urban tal-lokalitajiet tagħna. Huwa tkellem dwar l-applikazzjonijiet pendenti għal supermarkets f’Marsaskala u qal li barra li dawn ser jiġġeneraw ħafna traffiku se jkomplu joqtlu l-ħwienet ta’ daqs żgħir u medju f’din il-lokalità. Dawn il-ħwienet ta’ negozju żgħar huma parti  integrali mit-tessut soċjali tal-lokalità: s-servizz tagħhom hu meħtieġ fil-mixja tal-lokalitajiet biex ikunu awto-suffiċjenti.

Hawnhekk għandna ukoll proposta għal bini ta’ lukanda f’Marsaskala u dan meta fis-sit tal-Jerma, fejn diġà kien hemm lukanda, iridu jibnu appartamenti! Dan meta huwa fatt magħruf li f’pajjiżna diġa hemm jew proġettati aktar mid-doppju tas-sodod li hemm bżonn u dan skond studju li ppubblikat ftit xhur ilu l-MHRA. Dan hu każ ieħor fejn l-Awtorita’ tal-Ippjanar qegħda tonqos milli tirregola l-użu għaqli tal-art u fejn mistenni jkollna iktar faċilitajiet milli pajjiżna għandu verament bżonn u li eventwalment jispiċċaw ifallu u jgħalqu. It-turiżmu m’għandux ikun għad-dannu tal-kwalita’ tal-ħajja tar-residenti.

Huwa neċessarju li jkollna Kunsilliera li jkunu kapaċi jħarsu lejn il-lokalità fit-totalità tagħha b’viżjoni għall-futur. Għax il-Kunsilli m’għandhomx ikunu kkunsidrati bħala l-front desk tal-uffiċċju tal-customer care tal-Gvern Ċentrali. 

Il-kandidat għall-kunsill lokali ta’ Marsaskala, Brian Decelis qal li meta l-ADPD flimkien ma’ għaqdiet non-governattivi u r-residenti konna pprotestajna dwar il-proġett propost tal-marina, ma konniex qegħdin biss noġġezzjonaw għad-dannu ambjentali li din kienet tikkawża imma għal fatt li dan kien sejjer iwassal għal kommerċjalizazzjoni sfrenata tal-lokalità.

Marsaskala għandha tibqa’ tiġi trattata bħala belt residenzjali li minkejja qegħda tikber għandha tibqa’ tħares il-ħtiġijiet tar-residenti l-ewwel u qabel kollox u mhux dawk ta’ l-ispekulatur. Żoni li għadhom bil-kemm mittiefsa – bħal dawn fejn saru l-applikazzjonijiet riċenti għal żewġ supermarkets u lukanda – għandhom jiġu salvagwardjati, sostna Decelis. Ta’ min isemmi li f’dawn iż-żewġ każijiet il-kunsill lokali ta’ Marsaskala ressaq l-oġġezzjonijiet tiegħu, kif wara kollox għandu jagħmel kull meta jkun hemm proposti għal żvilupp li ma jħarisx l-interessi tar-residenti!

Hemm bżonn li jieqfu l-abbużi li qegħdin jimminaw id-dritt tar-residenti għal lokalita’ abitabbli. Dan jinkludi fejn is-siġġijiet u imwejjed qegħdin jingubraw il-bankini u storbju esaġerat minn xi negozji sa tard bil-lejl. Iż-żoni rurali li fadal fil-lokalità – bħal dawk fin-naħa tal-Bajja ta’ San Tumas – m’għandhomx jitħallew jiġu mibdula għal radam jew għal divertiment.

Bħala kunsillier fil-lokalità Brian Decelis wiegħed li jara li jinżamm bilanċ biex il-kummerċ ma jkunx ta’ dannu għar-residenti. Għax Marsaskala hi l-ewwel u qabel kollox lokalità residenzjali.