Irridu investigazzjoni tal-konċessjoni ta’ Smart City
Il-qerda ta’ iktar raba’ għal triq li m’hemmx bżonnha ma tagħmilx sens. Dan qaluh kelliema ta’ ADPD-The Green Party b’riferenza għat-triq proposta minn Ħaż-Żabbar lejn Smart City. Il-problema tal-konġestjoni tat-toroq ma tissolviex billi jiżdiedu t-toroq imma billi jonqsu l-karozzi mit-toroq. ADPD tipproponi li minflok ma ssir it-triq, il-flus jintużaw billi l-park ta’ San Klement jiġi estiż tul il-fortifikazzjonijiet bħala post ta’ rikreazzjoni fin-nofsinhar ta’ Malta.
ADPD- The Green Party jagħti l-appoġġ tiegħu ukoll lil organizzazzjonijiet bħal Moviment Graffiti, Friends of Cottonera Forum, Friends of the Earth Malta, Azzjoni Tuna Artna Lura, u oħrajn li qegħdin joġġezzjonaw għal dan l-iżvilupp bla sens.
Id-Deputat Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ ADPD-The Green Party Mario Mallia qal li bil-proposta għal din it-triq se jinqered spazju aħdar ieħor f’dawn iż-żoni. Minn mogħdija għall-mixi fejn wieħed jista’ jirrilassa wara ġurnata jew ġimgħa ta’ ħidma qiegħed jiġi propost li tinbena triq li wara kollox m’hemmx bżonnha.
Mhux talli li bil-proposta se jinqerdu iktar minn 5,600m2 ta’ art agrikola, talli se jiġu mhedda numru ta’ siti storiċi u ekoloġiċi li saħansitra jinkludu dawk fi Grad 1 bħall-Kunvent tal-Kappuċċini, ċ-Ċimiterju Navali tal-Kalkara u l-fortifikazzjonijiet. Se jiġi mhedded ukoll il-Wied ta’ Rinella fil-Kalkara. Din it-triq m’hemmx bżonnha għaliex it-traffiku diġà jimxi sew lejn Smart City. Dan iġiegħlna nistaqsu jekk hemmx motivi ulterjuri għalfejn il-bini ta’ din it-triq qed jiġi mbuttat mill-gvern, tenna Mallia.
Flok flus imberbqa fuq triq li m’hemmx bżonnha u li taqdi l-interessi tal-ftit, ADPD-The Green Party qed jipproponi li l-flus jintużaw għal skop komunitarju billi l-park ta’ San Klement jiġi estiż u jkompli tul il-Cottonera Lines kollha bir-rijabilitazzjoni tal-fortifikazzjonijiet biex il-familji fin-nofsinhar ta’ Malta ikollhom fejn jirrikrejaw ruħhom f’ambjent miftuħ, temm jgħid Mallia.
Id-Deputat Chairperson ta’ ADPD-The Green Party, il-Perit Carmel Cacopardo qal li dan il-progett juri b’mod prattiku li l-karozzi għad għandhom il-prijorità assoluta fil-pjanijiet tal-Gvern.
Dan l-ispazju aħdar mas-swar m’għandux jingħata għall-karozzi iżda għandu jitgawda mill-komunità fin-nofsinhar tal-pajjiż. Il-fatt li ikun estiż il-park ta’ San Klement u jinkludi fih medda ikbar ta’ swar irrestawrati, irodd lura siti storiċi li tħallew jiżdingaw u li f’xi każi jiġu użati b’mod illeċtu.
Din it-triq proposta se sservi biss għal żvilupp spekulattiv u m’hemmx bżonnha. Se thedded siti storiċi u ekoloġiċi u għaldaqstant il-proposta għandha tiġi abbandunata darba għal dejjem u ż-żona titħalla fl-istat li nistgħu ngawduha llkoll.
Il-proġett ta’ Smart City hu proġett ta’ spekulazzjoni li jmur kontra r-raġuni bażi tal-konċessjoni enormi tal-art mill-Parlament ta’ Malta snin ilu. Flok ma l-gvern ħa lura art li ma ntużatx għall-iskop oriġinali li ingħatat għalih, iġifieri belt għall-industrija tal-informatika, dawwar il-konċessjoni biex spekulaturi jkunu jistgħu jibni mijiet ta’ residenzi lussużi fuq art pubblika: daqslikieku m’hawnx biżżejjed minnhom. Issa l-gvern irid ikompli jaqdi lil dawn l-ispekulaturi mill-koxxa bil-bini ta’ triq wiesgħa li bżonnha m’hemmx, għax triq utli diġà teżisti.
ADPD-The Green Party jitlob li minflok dan l-infieq bla sens fi triq oħra, il-gvern jagħti rendikont sħiħ dwar il-konċessjoni tal-art fuq ‘l hekk imsejħa Smart City, u kif din tbiddlet biex taġevola lill-ftit. It-taħwid u l-maniġġi fil-konċessjonijiet fuq art pubblika imorru lil hinn minn Manoel Island, temm jgħid Cacopardo.
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Extension of San Klement Park over an unnecessary road for Smart City speculators
We want an investigation of the concession of public land to Smart City for speculation
The destruction of more arable land to make way for an unnecessary road defies good judgement. This was highlighted by ADPD – The Green Party, referring to the proposed new road from Żabbar to Smart City. The problem of congested roads will not be solved by adding more roads but by reducing the number of cars on the road. ADPD proposes that the funds allocated for this new road be spent on extending the San Klement Park along the whole length of the Cottonera fortifications.
ADPD supports organisations such as Moviment Graffiti, Friends of Cottonera Forum, Friends of the Earth Malta, Azzjoni Tuna Artna Lura and others that have objected to this senseless development.
The Deputy General Secretary Mario Mallia said that the current road proposal will destroy more naturally green spaces in these areas. There is absolutely no need to transform a quiet lane used for relaxation after a busy day at work into an asphalted road. Not only will this proposal lead to the destruction of more than 5,600m2 of agricultural land, it will also pose a threat to the numerous Grade 1 historical and ecological sites, such as the Capuchin convent, the Naval cemetery in Kalkara and the fortifications. Rinella Valley in Kalkara is also in danger. There is absolutely no need for this road because traffic towards and from Smart City is already well-managed. This makes us question if there is any ulterior motive as to why this project is being pushed by the government, stated Mallia.
Instead of wasting funds on an unnecessary road that serves the interests of the few, ADPD-The Green Party is proposing for those funds to be used for a community project, by having the San Klement Park extended along the Cottonera Lines and rehabilitating the fortifications so that families in the south of Malta can visit this open green space for recreational purposes, concluded Mallia.
ADPD-The Green Party Deputy Chairperson, Architect Carmel Cacopardo, said that this proposed project reveals that car usage is top priority in whatever plans the government has. The green area along the fortifications should not be earmarked for car use, but should be enjoyed by the community. In fact, by extending San Klement Park and seeking to restore the fortifications would mean that historical sites that have been allowed to deteriorate and be vandalised will now be given the attention that they need.
This proposed road will only serve the interests of speculators – there is really no need for this road. It will threaten historical and ecological sites in the area and therefore this proposal should be abandoned once and for all and the area left for the community to enjoy.
The Smart City project is simply all about speculation that goes against the reason for the transfer of public land by the Maltese Parliament years ago. Instead of taking back land that was not used for its original purpose, an ICT and media park, the concession has been changed so as to provide speculators the opportunity to build hundreds of luxury residences on public land – as if there aren’t enough of these already. Now the government is keen to keep on supporting these speculators by giving them a wide road for which there is absolutely no use as there already is one that serves that purpose quite well.
ADPD-The Green Party requests that instead of funds misspent on another unnecessary road, the government should give a breakdown of the land concession concerning what is known as Smart City, and how this was changed to accommodate the few. The deception and manipulation involved in public land concessions is beyond that witnessed with Manoel Island, concluded Cacopardo.
More information: https://timesofmalta.com/article/new-road-smart-city-another-project-select-adpd.1089761
