Residents to get their say on Qui-si-Sana application

In a heated session yesterday, the Sliema local council approved a motion to hold a meeting with Qui-si-Sana residents to discuss the proposed development of an underground car park and other facilities in the area.

The council plans to go to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority offices in Floriana on November 25 to assess the proposed development. It will discuss the proposal at a council meeting four days later and hold a meeting for residents within four days of that.

The motion was moved by councillors Michael Briguglio and Martin Debono who insisted that the council should hear the concerns of the residents without further delay.

When a vote was taken Mr Briguglio, Mr Debono and Marianne Aquilina voted in favour and the rest of the council gave the thumbs down.

The motion that was finally approved was moved by mayor Albert Bonello Dupuis. Both the mayor and councillor Anthony Borg held their ground saying that prior to the meeting with the residents, the council ought to go through the proposal to be in a better position to answer residents' questions.

Although the agenda of yesterday's meeting did not include the Qui-si-Sana development, the first 45 minutes of the three-hour meeting was taken up by this project, which is raising the ire of residents.

Mr Bonello Dupuis said a brief item that appeared in The Times yesterday was incorrect in the sense that the council's agenda yesterday did not include the Qui-si-Sana project. He pointed out also that nor was the council expected to take a vote on the proposal, as was also reported.

The Qui-si-Sana project was debated during last month's meeting of the council. According to the minutes of that meeting, Mr Briguglio had noted that the proposed development at Qui-si-Sana included a car park, leisure facilities, a lobby, a leisure aquarium, a promenade bar, a restaurant and a news agent.

Mr Briguglio argued that such development would make the area ugly. He appealed to the council to oppose all kinds of development at the level of the garden.

Also at last month's meeting, the council agreed in principle with the setting up of the car park, as long as it was located beneath the garden.

On October 14, after that meeting, the council wrote to the Mepa chairman requesting to be consulted about the proposed development.

In its letter signed by executive secretary Lino Bugeja, the council made it amply clear that it was in favour of the underground parking project but against any other development at garden level except for a "small kiosk".

The council suggested that the current two car parks be incorporated into a new garden which is expected to be built on top of the car park.

Up until yesterday, the council had not received a reply to this letter except for an acknowledgement.

When contacted, a Mepa spokesman said it was not normal practice for the authority to hold similar meetings, although, in this case, it would see how to go about this request.

The mayor told The Times it was perhaps time to send Mepa a reminder. He noted that apart from the kiosk, the council would be proposing the building of toilet facilities.

At yesterday's council meeting, Mr Briguglio objected to the fact that the council had in its letter to Mepa appeared to approve the setting up of "a small kiosk" in the garden. He said Qui-si-Sana could end up being another Bugibba whose seafront had been gobbled up by kiosks.