“The rationalisation exercise should be discarded forthwith and land which used to be considered outside the development zones (ODZ) should be returned to that status”, stated ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo when addressing a press conference together with Brian Decelis ADPD candidate for Marsaskala and Party Media Officer, next to the site of a massive development proposal in Marsaskala.

Brian Decelis explained how Marsaskala is also under attack from multiple directions with development proposals submitted on ODZ land as well as the taking over of public land by commercial entities to extend their business. Even swimming zones are being curtailed.

The development being proposed on a 5,000 square metre site in Żonqor – which used to be considered as ODZ up to 2006 – includes five floors above ground with over 100 residential units and almost 200 garages. The visual impact is going to be massive so much so that even photo montages published by the Planning Authority itself show that the view of the Marsaskala Bay will be completely obliterated as one would be coming down from the Żonqor hill.

This intensive development will have a considerable cumulative impact on the residents living in this area, which impact has not been assessed as required by the EU’s Strategic Environment Assessment Directive. In particular there will be a substantial increase in traffic in the area which the local roads cannot carry.

Undoubtedly, such development in an area which is already intensely built up will negatively impact the residents’ quality of life – both those who reside permanently in Marsaskala as well as those who come here for the Summer months.

ADPD is appealing to the Planning Authority that should such development be considered this should not be higher than two floors in recognition of the fact that this will be next to a rural zone, at the edge of a development zone and built on sloping ground.

Just a little bit further up on Żonqor hill there is also a proposal for development which although appears of a small scale in nature the fact that this is on ODZ land if approved may lead to more proposals in the same zone.

This madness must stop – both in Marsaskala as well as in other localities: the remaining virgin land should be retained as such, concluded Brian Decelis.

Cacopardo recalled how Malta’s Parliament in 2006 approved the “rationalisation” exercise, as a result of which extensive stretches of land all over the islands, until then outside the development zone (ODZ), were declared as land suitable for development.

This has made possible the proposals for development on land such as this one in Żonqor without taking into consideration the cumulative impact of such a development. It is a fact that such massive projects will lead to the degradation of the quality of life for the residents already living in these localities. The impact of the wrong decisions of 2006 are being felt today, although the writing has been on the wall for some time!

“The basic question to ask is whether we really need such large-scale developments. Why are we determined as a country to develop every square centimetre of our land? Isn’t it about time that a moratorium on such large-scale development enters in force? Most importantly, the rationalisation exercise should be discarded forthwith and land which used to be considered outside the development zones (ODZ) should be returned to that status”, concluded Cacopardo.

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Anke Marsaskala taħt assedju

“Il-pjan ta’ razzjonalizzazzjoni għandu jitħassar minnufih u dik l-art li qabel kienet ikkunsidrata bħala ODZ għanda titreġġa lura għal dak l-istatus.” Dan qalu Carmel Cacopardo Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party huwa u jindirizza konferenza stampa ħdejn żona ta’ żvilupp massiv propost f’Marsaskala flimkien ma’ Brian Decelis Kandidat tal-ADPD fuq Marsaskala u uffiċjal għall-Media tal-Partit.

Brian Decelis spjega kif Marsaskala ukoll hi taħt assedju minn diversi bnadi bi żvilupp propost f’żoni differenti inkluż dawk ODZ, kif ukoll it-teħid ta’ art pubblika minn azjendi kummerċjali biex jestendu in-negozju tagħhom u fejn anke zoni magħrufin għall-għawm qegħdin ikompli jitnaqqru.

L-iżvilupp fuq żona ta’ 5,000 metru kwadru fis-sit taż-Żonqor – liema sit kienet ikkonsidrata ODZ qabel l-2006 – jipproponi bini għoli ħames sulari b’aktar minn 100 residenzi u kważi 200 garaxx. L-impatt viżwali se jkun wieħed massiv tant ritratti tal-Awtorita’ tal-Ippjanar stess juru li meta jkun wieħed nieżel miz-Żonqor dan l-iżvilupp se jgħatti kompletament il-bajja ta’ Marsaskala.

Dan l-iżvilupp intensiv se jkollu impatt kumulattiv konsiderevoli fuq ir-residenti tal-madwar, liema impatt qatt ma kien imkejjel, kuntrarjament għal dak li tipprovdi l-iStrategic Environment Assessment Directive ta’ l-UE. B’mod partikulari se jkun hemm żieda sostanzjali fit-traffiku iġġenerat fl-inħawi, u dan it-toroq tal-madwar ma jifilħux għalih.

Bla dubju ta’ xejn dan l-iżvilupp f’zona li diġà hija mibnija b’mod intensiv se jaffettwa b’mod negattiv il-kwalita’ tal-ħajja tar-residenti fl-inħawi, kemm dawk li joqgħodu hawn permanenti u kemm dawk li jiġu għax xhur tas-sajf.

Għalhekk l-ADPD qegħda tappella lill-Awtorita’ tal-Ippjanar li jekk għandha tapprova żvilupp f’din iz-zona dan m’għandux jkun iktar minn żewġ sulari għoli biex jirrikonoxxi il-fatt li dan il-bini se jkun maġenb żona rurali, fix-xifer ta’ żona ta’ żvilupp u mibni fuq toroq imżerżqa.

Ftit aktar il-fuq minn hawn, fit-telgħa taż-Żonqor hemm ukoll żvilupp propost li għalkemm jidher ta’ natura żgħira qiegħed f’żona ODZ u għalhekk jista’ jiftaħ il-bieb għal aktar proposti f’din l-istess żona .

Hemm bżonn li dawn il-ġennati jitwaqqfu minnufih kemm f’Marsaskala kif ukoll f’lokalitijiet oħra fejn għad fadal ftit taż-żoni bla mittiefsa li jeħtieġ li jibqgħu hekk, ikkonkluda Brian Decelis.

Carmel Cacopardo fakkar kif fl-2006 il-Parlament Malti kien approva riżoluzzjoni hekk imsejjħa ta’ eżerċizzju ta’ razzjonalizzazzjoni fejn meded ta’ art li sa dakinhar kienu meqjusa barra minn żoni ta’ żvilupp (ODZ) setgħu jingħataw għal bini.

Dan wassal biex setgħu jsiru proposti għal żvilupp bħal dan f’artijiet bħal din fiż-Żonqor mingħajr ma ttieħdet in konsiderazzjoni l-impatt kumulattiv ta’ żviluppi simili. Huwa fatt li dawn il-proġetti massivi iwasslu għal aktar degradazzjoni tal-kwalita’ tal-ħajja tar-residenti li jkun diġà joqgħodu f’dawn il-lokalitajiet. L-effett tad-deċiżjonijiet ħżiena tal-2006 qed jidhru iktar ċari illum, għal min dakinnhar ma ndunax bihom!

“Il-mistoqsija tqum waħda: għandna bżonn dan it-tip ta’ żvilupp? Għaliex jidher li rridu nibnu kull roqgħa art possibbli? Wasal iż-żmien ukoll ta’ moratorju fuq dan it-tip ta’ żvilupp. Fl-aħħarnett, il-pjan ta’ razzjonalizzazzjoni għandu jitħassar minnufih u dik l-art li qabel kienet ikkunsidrata bħala ODZ għanda titreġġa lura għal dak l-istatus,” ikkonkluda Cacopardo.