With reference to the draft policy on tall buildings published yesterday for public consultation, Alternattiva Demokratika Deputy Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said: “This draft policy should not be seen on its own. Rather it should be considered within the context of policies already issued for consultation such as those on the ODZ, Hotel heights. Considering all of these together with the projected Local Plans one easily understands that it is payback time for the building construction industry. Rather then being encouraged to build further the building construction industry in Malta should be cut down to size.”
Alternattiva Demokratika Chairperson, Prof. Arnold Cassola, said, “This craze for more and more unlimited height buildings is going to ruin the skyline of such a small nation as Malta. Historic walled cities such as Mdina, Valletta, the three cities and the Cittadella in Gozo, will be dwarfed by the new unlimited height skyline which is normally only typical of places like Dubai, Hong Kong or Singapore, which do not have ancient UNESCO heritage architecture to safeguard. This new proposed MEPA policy is a reason more for civil society to support next Saturday’s protest march, organised by Malta’s leading environmental organisations and NGOs.”
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B’referenza għall-proposta ta’ liġi fuq bini għoli ppubblikata ‘l bieraħ għall-konsultazzjoni pubblika, id-Deputat Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika,Carmel Cacopardo, qal: “Wieħed ma jridx jara din il-proposta ta’ liġi f’izolament. Irid jiġi kkunsidrat fil-kuntest ta’ policies oħra li diġa ħarġu għall-konsultazzjoni, bħal ma huma dawk tal-ODZ u l-għoli tal-lukandi. Meta naraw dawn kollha b’mod ħolistiku flimkien mal-Pjanijiet Lokali hekk kif inhuma ippjanati, wieħed malajr jifhem li issa wasal iz-zmien biex l-industrija tal-kostruzzjoni tiġi ppremjata. Minflok ma ninkoraġġixxu lill-industrija tal-bini biex tkompli tibni, imissna nagħmlu minn kollox biex inċekknu dan is-settur.”
Ic-Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika, Prof. Arnold Cassola, qal: “Din il-kilba biex inkomplu nżidu l-għoli tal-bini ser tkompli teqred l-iskyline ta’ pajjiż ċkejken bħal Malta. Bliet storiċi imdawrin bis-swar, bħall-Imdina, il-Belt, il-Kottonera u ċ-Ċittadella f’Għawdex, se jindifnu b’dan il-bini għoli li huwa normalment tipiku ta’ pajjiżi bħal Dubai, Hong Kong jew Singapore, li m’għandhomx bini storiku antik rikonoxxut mill-UNESCO x’jipproteġu. Din il-policy proposta mill-MEPA hija raġuni oħra għala s-soċjeta ċivili għandha tappoġġa l-mixja ta’ protesta li se ssir nhar is-Sibt li ġej, u li hi organizzata minn għaqdiet ambjentali u organizzazzjonijiet mhux governattivi.”
