“It is crystal clear that in spite of the impression given in her many press conferences and media appearances by Minister Miriam Dalli this government lacks a coherent policy on open spaces in urban zones and different ministries are simply going about their business-as-usual. This is evident in the case of public land in Mellieħa that the Lands Authority is selling for speculation: it seems that Minister Silvio Schembri did not give ministerial direction to the authority to prioritise public urban spaces. For all their bragging about multi-million Euro investments in public open spaces, it would be more apt for government to safeguard already existing open spaces instead of handing them over for speculation.”
This was stated by ADPD – The Green Party spokesperson Luke Caruana who stated that the easiest way to carry out the declared open spaces in urban zones policy is to keep undeveloped government-owned land in urban zones as open spaces. However it seems that the government is not even able to implement its own policy!
ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said that the case of public land in Mellieħa further confirms that Labour has not changed the policy of unbridled development put in place by the Nationalists – indeed it has continued to make things worse. The local plans enacted between 1995 and 2006, together with the substantial amount of land given up for development in 2006 has led to a development frenzy. Without an urgent revision of the local plans and the repeal of the 2006 rationalisation exercise, any declarations regarding the government’s supposed commitment to open urban spaces remain empty rhetoric. This revision is long overdue, concluded Cacopardo.
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Kontradizzjonijiet fil-politika dwar l-ispazji miftuħa
‘Huwa ċar daqs il-kristall illi l-gvern, minkejja d-diversi konferenzi stampa u ritratti tal-Ministru Miriam Dalli, m’għandux politika ikkordinata dwar l-ispazji miftuħa f’żoni urbani, u l-Ministri differenti qed jibqgħu jimxu kif dejjem għamlu. Dan joħroġ ċar mill-attitudni tal-Ministru Silvio Schembri illi, fil-każ tal-art tal-gvern fil-Mellieħa, li l-Awtorità tal-Artijiet se tbiegħ għall-ispekulazzjoni, ma’ ta l-ebda direzzjoni ministerjali dwar politika li tiffavorixxi l-ispazji urbani miftuħa. Qabel ma jparlaw fuq miljuni investiti biex joħolqu spazji miftuha għall-pubbliku, jagħmel ħafna iktar sens li jħarsu l-ispazji miftuħa li għandna flok ma jagħtuhom għall-ispekulazzjoni.’
Luke Caruana, kelliem ta’ ADPD – The Green Party qal illi suppost l-aktar pass faċli biex titwettaq il-politika dikjarata tal-gvern dwar spazji miftuħa f’żoni urbani, huwa li art li hija propjetà tal-gvern f’żoni urbani jibqgħu spazji miftuħa. Il-gvern iżda lanqas ma hu kapaċi jwettaq il-politika tiegħu stess.
Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Carmel Cacopardo żied jgħid li l-każ tal-art fil-Mellieħa juri l-mentalità għadha ma inbidlitx u l-Labour żamm u ma biddel xejn mill-politika ta’ żvilupp sfrenat tan-Nazzjonalisti, anzi kompla jżid u jżid. Fakkar li l-pjani lokali saru bejn l-1995 u l-2006, u ħafna art ingħatat għal bini fl-2006. Din il-politika ġabet urbanizazzjoni bla kontroll. Mingħajr reviżjoni tal-pjani lokali u t-tħassir tal-pjan ta’ razzjonalizzazzjoni, kull retorika fuq spazji urbani miftuħa u aħjar hija retorika fil-vojt. Din ir-reviżjoni tal-pjani lokali hi materja urgenti u ma tistax tibqa’ tkun posposta.
