In a press conference held on the site of the proposed 38 storey tower in Sliema, Alternattiva Demokratika Chairperson Prof. Arnold Cassola said: “It is plainly insulting that the developers of such project say that the increase in traffic of 4000 cars will not be of any detriment to residents. Indeed, the approval of such project, together with the proposed 40 storey building on the Fort Cambridge site will effectively mean more traffic gridlock, more polluted air, more health hazards, less parking spaces and a considerable contribution to the further uglification of the Sliema Seafront and Valletta skyline. In this respect, we thank Sliema Local Council for objecting to this development”.
Carmel Cacopardo AD Deputy Chairman and spokesman on sustainable development stated that while the impacts of each individual project in terms of diminished air quality, increased traffic generation, and increased inconvenience to both the residents and the commercial community are quite a mouthful, the cumulative impacts of the different development projects on the Tigne peninsula are far worse. Consideration of these cumulative impacts should lead to the inevitable conclusion of refusal of these type of applications. The ever growing number of empty properties all over the island (including the Sliema area) should also lead us to ponder deeper into the impacts of such projects on the daily lives of residents and business, both retail and tourism. Serious consideration will lead to the inevitable conclusion that these projects are leading to a degradation of our quality of life.
Dr Michael Briguglio, Sliema Local Councillor, said that Sliema Local Council is objecting to this development on various grounds, as established by the scientific environmental study carried out by the Environment Protection Directorate. This includes shading of various spaces including Qui-si-sana due to the 38 storey tower and other buildings, increase of thousands of cars on a daily basis in the overcongested Qui-si-sana and Tigne’ peninsula and the negative impact of years-long construction to residents. Besides, another 40-storey tower is also being proposed just a few metres away, at the Fort Cambridge Military Barracks site, which is also causing concern to Sliema residents. We support the Qui-si-sana and Tigne’ Residents Association in its defence of the rights of residents in the area.
—
Il-bini għoli fil-qalba ta’ Tas-Sliema qiegħed joħnoq lir-residenti, tgħid AD
Waqt konferenza stampa fil-post fejn qed jiġi propost li jinbena torri ta’ 38 sular f’Tas-Sliema, iċ-Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika, il-Prof. Arnold Cassola qal: “Huwa sempliċiment insult li l-iżviluppaturi ta’ proġett bħal dan jgħidu li ż-żieda fit-traffiku ta’ 4000 karozza mhux se jkollu effett negattiv fuq ir-residenti. Fil-fatt, l-approvazzjoni ta’ proġett bħal dan, flimkien mal-binja proposta ta’ 40 sular fis-sit tal-Forti Cambridge, se tkun tfisser iktar konġestjoni ta’ traffiku, iżjed tniġġiż ta’ arja, aktar riskji ta’ saħħa, inqas postijiet fejn tipparkja, filwaqt li l-proġett se jkompli jkerraħ ix-xatt ta’ tas-Sliema u l-veduta mill-Belt. F’dan ir-rigward, nixtiequ nirringrazzjaw lill-Kunsillier tagħna f’Tas-Sliema, Michael Briguglio li, flimkien mal-Kunsill Lokalti ta’ Tas-Sliema, qiegħed iżomm lir-residenti infurmati il-ħin kollu dwar dak li qiegħed ikun propost għal tas-Sliema”.
Carmel Cacopardo, id-Deputat Chairman ta’ AD u kelliem dwar l-iżvilupp sostenibbli, qal li filwaqt li l-impatt ta’ kull proġett individwali kemm fejn jidħol tnaqqis fil-kwalita’ tal-arja, żieda fit-traffiku, u iktar inkonvenjenza kemm għar-residenti kif ukoll ghan-negozju huwa diġa’ kbir, l-impatt kumulattiv ta’ proġetti differenti ta’ żvilupp ġewwa Tigne’ huwa ħafna agħar. Meta wieħed iżomm f’moħħu dawn l-impatti kumulattivi, wieħed jistenna li l-permessi ghal proġetti bħal dawn għandhom ikunu miċħuda. In-numru dejjem jikber ta’ postijiet vojta mifruxa madwar il-gżejjer (mhux anqas ġewwa tas-Sliema) ukoll għandu jwassal biex naħsbu fil-fond fuq l-impatt li dawn il-proġetti qiegħed ikollhom fuq il-ħajja ta’ kuljum tar-residenti u tan-negozju kemm fejn jidħol bejgħ kif ukoll fit-turiżmu. Kieku kellna nirriflettu bis-serjeta’, ma jistax ikun li ma naslux għall-konklużjoni li proġetti bħal dawn qegħdin inaqqru mill-kwalita’ tal-ħajja tagħna.
Dr Michael Briguglio, Kunsillier f’Tas-Sliema, qal li l-Kunsill Lokali ta’ tas-Sliema qiegħed joġġezzjona għal dan l-iżvilupp għal bosta raġunijiet. inkliuż dak li ġie stabbilit minn studju xjentifiku ambjentali li sar mid-Direttorat għall-Protezzjoni tal-Ambjent. Dan jinkludi it-tfigħ ta’ dell fuq diversi spazji fosthom fi Qui-si-sana minħabba t-torri ta’ 38 sular u u bini ieħor, żieda ta’ eluf ta’ karozzi kuljum fl-inħawi ta’ Qui-si-sana u Tigne’ fejn diġa hemm problemi ta’ traffiku, u l-impatt negattiv fuq ir-residenti minħabba snin twal ta’ bini bla rażan. Barra minn hekk, torri ieħor ta’ 40 sular qiegħed ikun propost ukoll ftit metri l-bogħod, fis-sit militari tal-Forti Cambridge, li wkoll qiegħed jikkawża tħassib fost ir-residenti ta’ tas-Sliema. Aħna nappoġġaw l-Għaqda Residenti ta’ Qui-si-sana u Tigne’ fil-ġlieda tagħha għad-drittijiet tar-residenti ta’ dawn l-inħawi.