ADPD-The Green Party Chairperson Sandra Gauci said:”We are not surprised by the Planning Authority’s latest decision to allow db Group to add seven extra floors to the St George’s Bay towers. The decision fits squarely with the government’s emphasis on speculation, and savage overdevelopment to favour the few over the many. It fits squarely with Robert Abela’s and his government’s Vision 2050 based on limitless growth and speculation.”
The project’s original permit was already mired in controversy, legal battles and repeated community objections. After years in which the developer was forced to scale down its initial plans, this green light for a major vertical expansion is nothing short of a betrayal of residents and the public interest. Allowing the towers to rise to 23 and 25 storeys in an area already bursting at the seams shows once again that planning policy in Malta is being bent to favour the powerful mega-rich over the community.
This approval will further intensify congestion, overshadow surrounding neighbourhoods and accelerate the ongoing commercial takeover of our coastline. Communities have been taken for a ride. Every “compromise” demanded from db over the years has now been shamelessly reversed. The public deserves transparency, accountability and a planning system that protects our shared spaces, not one that rewards speculative excess. We will continue to stand with residents to challenge decisions that place private profit above Malta’s quality of life.
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Il-Gvern u l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar favur l-ispekulazzjoni u l-multi-miljunarji, u kontra n-nies
Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD-The Green Party Sandra Gauci qalet: “Ma nistagħġbu xejn bid-deċiżjoni tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar biex tippermetti lid-db Group iżidu seba’ sulari oħra mat-torrijiet tagħhom fil-Bajja ta’ San Ġorġ. Din id-deċiżjoni taqbel kexxun mal-ossessjoni ta’ dan il-Gvern u ta’ Robert Abela li jaġevolaw kemm jifilħu bl-ispekulazzjoni u l-iżvilupp selvaġġ. Robert Abela u l-Gvern Laburista reġgħu kkonfermaw li huma jaġixxu favur il-ftit b’saħħithom kontra l-interessi tal-komunitajiet tagħna. Deċiżjoni li taqbel kexxun ukoll mal-Viżjoni 2050 ta’ Robert Abela, viżjoni li tippromwovi tkabbir bla kontroll u kostruzzjoni bla limiti, u li tqiegħed l-interessi tal-ftit qabel il-ġid tal-pajjiż u tal-komunitajiet tagħna.”
Il-permess oriġinali ta’ dan il-proġett ilu snin joħloq kontroversji, suġġett, bir-raġun, għal kawżi legali, kif ukoll diversi oġġezzjonijiet mir-residenti u mis-soċjetà ċivili. Wara li l-iżviluppatur kellu jnaqqas l-iskala tal-proposta oriġinali, dan il-permess ġdid għal żieda vertikali sostanzjali mhi xejn għajr tradiment tar-residenti u tal-interess pubbliku. Issa torrijiet diġà enormi se jitilgħu minn 17 u 18-il sular għal 23 u 25 sulari f’żona li diġà tinsab taħt pressjoni kbira. Il-permess juri kif is-sistema tal-ippjanar f’Malta qed titgħawweġ biex takkomoda l-multi-miljunarji bi ħsara għall-komunità.
Din id-deċiżjoni se tkompli żżid il-konġestjoni, tidfen il-viċinanzi u tħaffef il-kummerċjalizazzjoni tal-kosta tagħna. Ir-residenti ġew ittraduti bl-aktar mod viljakk. Kull “kompromess” li taparsi ġie konċess mid-db issa għeb u nqaleb ta’ taħt fuq. Il-pubbliku jistħoqqlu trasparenza, kontabilità u sistema ta’ ippjanar li tipproteġi l-ispazji komuni tagħna, mhux waħda li tippremja l-eċċess spekulattiv u lill-ħnieżer bla xaba’. ADPD-The Green Party se tkompli topponi deċiżjonijiet li jagħtu prijorità lill-profitt privat fuq il-kwalità tal-ħajja tal-komunitajiet tagħna.
