During a news conference in Birkirkira ADPD spokespersons called for developments that disfigure and destroy the characteristics of our towns and cities to be curbed and that any development proposal must respect both the residents and the historical environment.

ADPD candidate for the local council of Birkirkara Mark Zerafa emphasized how despite the many promises made, that the scourge of waste will be controlled, the problem of forgotten and abandoned waste is as severe as ever. There is a need to foster a sense of self-discipline, based on respect for the community and love for this location of ours. There is a need for public cleanliness, including waste collection to be more organized.

Zerafa reiterated that we need to cherish our cultural heritage. Every development proposal needs to respect the residents and the historical environment: we need to resist every attempt by speculators who hardly care about the history that shaped Birkirkara and even Malta! We cannot forget the disrespect shown by certain speculators towards what shaped Birkirkara when they proposed that the residence of Vincenzo Borġ Brared be turned into a hotel!

Zerafa insisted that it is necessary to look after and take care of our open spaces and green lungs. That way we are taking care of our health. A project should be launched to identify suitable places where more trees can be planted in proper tree pits. In a context where open spaces are limited in a locality surrounded by arterial roads, more greenery in the locality is essential.

Many residents of Birkirkara are also affected by the batching plant in Iklin. ADPD insists, as it has done several times in the past, that the danger to people’s health as well as the unbearable odors that sometimes suffocate Birkirkara, be curbed as soon as possible. We cannot wait for people to get sick before action is taken!

He closed with an appeal: “If you want to see a clean Birkirkara, a Birkirkara that is given the respect it so deserves, if you embrace principles of sustainability and social justice – this is your opportunity!”

ADPD Chairperson Sandra Gauci referred to the application (PA7311/22) for a development in Birkirkara which will be incongruous with the surrounding buildings because it will be higher than the other buildings. When a development of this type takes place,respect not only of the laws but of the surrounding architecture and that what is intended to be projected does not stand out like a sore thumb.

Gauci emphasized that we want to keep the characteristics of our villages and not sell them to the highest bidder in an effort to become rich overnight. This is why we share Din l-Art Ħelwa as well as the Superintendent of Cultural Heritage’s concerns and objections regarding this development. There is a need for an extensive review of what is projected and that the concern about how the proposed building will uglify the area is given the attention it deserves.

Gauci called developments that disfigure and destroy the characteristics of our towns and cities to be curbed. Various attempts are being made around Malta and Gozo where due to the greed of developers and the lack of backbone of the Planning Authority, permits have been issued that are completely changing the face of our towns and villages: clear examples are what has been proposed in Ta’ Xbiex, the proposal for the building in Santa Luċija in Triq Katerina Vitale and the scandal of the block of apartments proposed close to Ġgantija.

“We are losing the soul and the characteristics of the Maltese villages to fill the pockets of some and we are even ready to ignore our history and be ridiculed by all and sundry when accepting that building another block of buildings 200 metres away from the Ġgantija temples is a good idea! The Planning Authority is forgetting planning and has only become an authority that issues permits and this in an irresponsible way.

“We hope that in this case the necessary changes will be made so that the impact on the locality’s aesthetics will be minimal and the characteristics that make Birkirkara unique will be maintained,” concluded Gauci.

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Żvilupp propost f’B’Kara għandu jirrispetta ir-residenti u l-ambjent storiku

Waqt konferenza tal-aħbarijiet f’Birkirkira kelliema tal-ADPD sostnew li bini li jkerrah u li jtellef il-karatteristiċi tal-irħula u l-ibliet tagħna għandu jkun imrażżan u li kull proposta ta’ żvilupp għandha tirrispetta kemm lir-residenti kif ukoll l-ambjent storiku.

Il-kandidat tal-ADPD għall-kunsill lokali ta’ Birkirkara Mark Zerafa emfasizza kif minkejja l-ħafna wegħdiet li saru, li l-pjaga tal-iskart se tiġi kkontrollata, il-problema ta’ skart minsi u mitluq ‘l hawn u l’ hinn qatt ma kienet daqshekk serja. Hemm bżonn li nrawmu sens ta’ awto-dixxiplina, msejjes fuq ir-rispett lejn il-komunità u mħabba lejn din il-lokalità tagħna. Hemm il-ħtieġa li l-indafa pubblika, nkluż il-ġbir tal-iskart ikun iktar organizzat. 

Zerafa tenna li hemm bżonn li ngħożżu l-wirt kulturali tagħna. Kull proposta ta’ żvilupp jeħtieġ li tkun tirrispetta r-residenti u l-ambjent storiku: hemm bżonn li nirreżistu kull tentattiv ta’ spekulaturi li qajla jimpurtahom mill-istorja li sawwret lil Birkirkara u saħansitra lil Malta! Ma nistgħux ninsew id-diżrispett li urew ċertu spekulaturi lejn dak li sawwar lil Birkirkara meta ipproponew li r-residenza ta’ Vinċenzo Borġ Brared tinbidel f’lukanda!

Zerafa sostna li hemm bżonn li l-ispazji miftuħa u l-pulmuni ħodor tagħna nindukrawhom u nieħdu ħsiebhom. B’hekk inkunu qegħdin nieħdu ħsieb saħħitna lkoll. Għandu jitnieda proġett biex jiġu identifikati postijiet adattati fejn iktar siġar jistgħu jitħawwlu direttament fl-art. F’kuntest fejn l-ispazji miftuħa huma limitati u fejn għandek lokalità mdawwra b’toroq arterjali, iktar ħdura fil-lokalità hija essenzjali.

Ħafna residenti ta’ Birkirkara qed jintlaqtu wkoll mill-batching plant fl-Iklin.  ADPD tinsisti bħal ma għamlet diversi drabi fil-passat, biex il-periklu għas-saħħa tan-nies kif ukoll l-irwejjaħ insapportabbli li xi kultant jifgaw lil Birkirkara, jitrażżnu mill-iktar fis.  Ma nistgħux nistennew in-nies jimirdu qabel tittieħed azzjoni.

Huwa għalaq b’appell: “Jekk tixtieq tara Birkirkara nadifa, Birkirkara li tingħata r-rispett li tant jistħoqqilha, jekk tħaddan prinċipji ta’ sostenibilità u ġustizzja soċjali – din hija l-opportunità tiegħek!”

Iċ-Chairperson tal-ADPD Sandra Gauci bdiet biex irreferiet għall-applikazzjoni (PA7311/22) biex isir żvilupp f’Birkirkara li se jkerrah u jistona mal-bini tal-madwar għax se jkun għola mill-bini l-ieħor. Meta jseħħ żvilupp ta’ dan it-tip, għandu jkun hemm mhux biss ir-rispett tal-liġijiet imma tal-arkitettura tal-madwar u li dak li jkun bi ħsiebu jiġi pproġettat ma jkunx jistona u jkerrah.

Gauci emfasizzat li irridu nżommu l-karatteristiċi tal-irħula tagħna u mhux inbiegħhom għal min joffri l-aktar fi sforz li nsiru sinjuri mil-lum għal għada. Huwa għalhekk li ningħaqdu ma’ Din l-Art Ħelwa kif ukoll mas-Sovvratendenza tal-Wirt Storitku fit-tħassib u l-oġġezzjonijiet li għandhom dwar dan l-iżvilupp. Hemm bżonn reviżjoni estensiva ta’ dak li hu pproġettat u li t-tħassib dwar kif il-bini propost se jkerrah jingħata l-attenzjoni mistħoqqa.

Gauci sostniet li l-bini li jkerrah u li jtellef il-karatteristiċi tal-irħula u l-ibliet tagħna għandu jitrażżan. Qed isiru diversi tentattivi madwar Malta u Għawdex fejn sforz ir-regħba ta’ żviluppaturi u n-nuqqas ta’ sinsla tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar, ħarġu permessi li qed ibiddlu kompletament il-wiċċ tal-ibliet u l-irħula tagħna: bħal per eżempju dak propost f’Ta’ Xbiex, il-proposta tal-bini f’Santa Luċija fi Triq Katerina Vitale u l-iskandlu tal-blokka tal-appartamenti proposta fejn il-Ġgantija.

“Qed nitilfu r-ruħ u l-karatteristiċi tal-irħula Maltin biex nimlew il-but ta’ wħud u lesti anke ninjoraw l-istorja tagħna u naqgħu għar-redikolu mad-dinja kollha billi naħsbu li huwa tajjeb li tinbena blokka bini oħra 200 metru bogħod mit-tempji tal-Ġgantija. L-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar qed tinsa l-ippjanar u saret biss awtorità li toħroġ il-permessi u dan b’mod irresponsabbli.

“Nisperaw li f’dan il-każ isiru t-tibdiliet meħtieġa biex l-impatt fuq l-estetika tal-lokalità ikun minimu u jinżammu l-karatteristiċi li jagħmlu Birkirkara unika,” temmet tgħid Gauci.