Illum qegħdin hawn Ħ’Attard biex niddefendu l-interess pubbliku, l-interessi tal-komunità u l-interessi tal-lum u ta’ għada tal-iskola pubblika ta’ Ħ’Attard.

Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Sandra Gauci qalet: Qegħdin fis-sit fejn hemm applikazzjoni biex art ta’ 5,666 metru kwadru, biswit l-iskola primarja pubblika, li fil-pjan lokali hija riservata għal faċilitajiet sportivi (PC 00002/24) tinbidlilha l-użu għal skola privata. 

L-applikazzjoni tfittex li tnaqqas b’mod sostanzjali ż-żona f’Ħ’Attard fejn jistgħu jsiru faċilitajiet sportivi għall-użu tal-komunità. Tikkomprometti l-interessi tal-komunità ta’ Ħ’Attard għal aċċess għal faċilitajiet sportivi.  L-applikazzjoni lanqas ma tipprovdi studji dwar l-impatti tal-bdil tal-użu tal-art in kwestjoni fuq il-komunità ta’ Ħ’Attard.

Riżultat ta’ din l-applikazzjoni l-interessi tal-komunità qed isibu ruħhom f’kunflitt ma’ interessi privati. Faċilitajiet sportivi twegħdu għal darba darbtejn, propju fuq din l-art. Filfatt il-gvern kien fil-proċess li jakkwista l-art u jikkonpensa s-sidien mal-għoxrin sena ilu, imma minflok wettaq il-proġett tal-faċilitajiet sportivi, baqa’ kollox fuq l-ixkaffa u rrilaxxa l-art lura lis-sidien oriġinali. Dan minkejja l-fatt li l-pjan lokali huwa ċar dwar l-użu tal-art.

Għal dawn ir-raġunijiet ippreżentajna oġġezzjoni għal din l-applikazzjoni. L-oggezzjoni ġiet ippreżentata f’isem Ralph Cassar, Kunsillier elett f’isem ADPD fil-Kunsill Lokali ta’ Ħ’Attard u f’isem numru ta’ residenti.

Ralph Cassar, Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ ADPD u kunsillier qal: Aħna mhux rasna fir-ramel u konxji mill-bżonnijiet tal-iskola primarja ta’ Ħ’Attard. L-iskola primarja ta’ Ħ’Attard għandha bżonn aktar faċilitajiet, inkluż aċċess għal spazji miftuħa, spazji edukattivi u faċilitajiet għall-attività fiżika spċifikament għat-tfal. Aħna tal-ADPD nipproponu. Mal-kritika nagħmlu proposti. Għaldaqstant bħala kunsillier, permezz ta’ mozzjoni, qiegħed nipproponi li fid-dawl tal-bżonnijiet tal-iskola pubblika, u anke fid-dawl ta’ bżonn ta’ faċilitajiet għal sports differenti fil-qalba tal-komunità li baqgħet dejjem tikber, qed nitlob lill-gvern biex minnufih jagħmel pjanijiet u jieħu l-inizjattiva biex jiżgura l-użu pubbliku tal-unika biċċa art biswit l-iskola primarja. X’inhuma l-pjanijiet fit-tul tal-Ministru tal-Edukazzjoni biex niżguraw li l-iskola tal-istat ikollha l-ispazju meħtieġ fl-interess tal-edukazzjoni pubblika? Fejn huwa l-impenn għal ippjanar fl-interess tal-komunità?

Huwa ovvju li bl-intensifikazzjoni tal-iżvilupp, il-faċilitajiet komunitarji, anke hawn f’Ħ’Attard, inklużi l-ispazji urbani rikreattivi u miftuħa, ma laħqux mal-bżonnijiet tal-komunità. L-iskola statali lokali, u l-faċilitajiet li toffri lill-komunità kollha, għalija hija prijorità. L-ispazju għandu jintuża mhux biss għal xi klassijiet li hemm bżonn – u li jieħdu ferm anqas spazju mill-blokok għoljin u massivi proposti mill-privat, iżda hemm biżżejjed spazju għal aktar ħdura, u żoni naturali għat-tagħlim, faċilitajiet kulturali, rikreattivi u sportivi iddisinjati speċifikament biex ikunu aċċessibbli għat-tfal tal-primarja, li għandhom jintużaw ukoll mill-komunità tagħna. Fl-aħħar mill-aħħar il-proposta tagħna hija li l-użu prijoritarju għall-art fiż-żona għandu jkun il-ħtiġijiet preżenti u futuri tal-iskola primarja tal-istat u tal-komunità. Il-pjan lokali huwa ċar, iħares l-interessi tal-komunità. L-awtoritajiet u l-gvern x’se jagħmlu?

Annessi: mozzjoni u s-sottomissjoni lill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar

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Defending the public interest and the local state school on behalf of the Ħ’Attard community

Today we are here in Attard to protect the public interest, the interests of the community and the present and future needs of the state school in Attard.

The ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Sandra Gauci said “We are currently on a site next to the state primary school in Attard, which according to the local plans is earmarked for sports facilities.  However, there is now an application to convert the use of this 5,666 square metre piece of property for a private school (PC 00002/24). 

This application seeks to substantially reduce the area in Attard where sports facilities can be built for community use.  It also compromises the interests of the community of Attard regarding access to sports facilities.  Moreover, this application does not provide any studies on the impact that such a change in the use of land in question on the community of Attard.

As a result of this application, the interests of the community are now in conflict with private interests.  It is important to note that the community has been promised that this site will be allocated for sports facilities, not once but twice.  In fact, the government was in the process of acquiring the land and compensating the owners twenty years ago, but instead of proceeding with the sports facilities project, everything was put on hold and eventually the site was returned to the original owners.  Yet, this application has now been submitted in spite of the fact that the local plans are clear about the use of the land. 

For these reasons we have presented an objection to this application. The objection was presented by Ralph Cassar, Ħ’Attard’s Green local councillor, and on behalf of a number of residents. 

Ralph Cassar, General Secretary of ADPD – The Green Party and councillor said: We do not have our heads in the sand and are aware of the needs of the primary school of Attard.  The Attard state primary school needs more facilities, including access to open spaces, educational spaces and facilities for physical activity specifically for children. ADPD gives proposals in addition to criticism.  Therefore, in light of the needs of the state primary school, as a councillor I am proposing facilities for different sports in the heart of this growing community, and therefore I am asking the government to take immediate action to ensure the public use of the only piece of land next to the primary school. We ask the Minister of Education as to what are the long-term plans to ensure that the state school has the necessary space in the interest of public education.  And where is the commitment to planning in the interest of the community?

It is clear that with the intensification of development, local community facilities, including the recreational and open urban spaces, have not met the needs of the community in Attard.  The local state school, and the facilities it offers to the whole community, is a priority for me.

There is ample space for more greenery, natural learning areas, cultural activities, recreational and sports facilities that should be accessible to elementary school students. This public space should be used for more than just the few classrooms that are necessary, and which certainly take up far less space than the tall, massive blocks proposed by the private sector.

Ultimately our proposal is that the land in the area should be prioritized for the present and future needs of the state primary school and the community. What are the authorities and the government going to do? Will they give in to speculators and private interests against the letter and spirit of the local plan?

You can make a submission until the 31st of July here: https://www.pa.org.mt/en/pccasedetails?CaseType=PC/00002/24

Suggested submission text:

I am presenting my objection to planning control application PC 002/24. The site is part of an area in Attard adjacent to the primary school which is currently zoned as an area for sports regulated by policy CG18 of the Central Local Plan. The use as determined in the Local Plan, is complimentary to the current use of the surrounding land, that the Attard primary school. This is sound planning policy which places the interest of the community at the forefront, as it should be.

The proposal in PC 00002/24 seeks to amend local plan by substituting the present permissible use of sports with the development of educational facilities, and furthermore proposes the permissible heights for such development.

The proposal is unacceptable because it reduces substantially the area in Attard which the Central Local Plan makes available for sports facilities, compromising the provision of recreational facilities for the community. The proposal is not accompanied by studies which assess its cumulative impacts on the locality of Attard. In view of the above, the proposal should be refused.