Heated residents' meeting over Sliema project

There was uproar at a Sliema local council meeting for Qui-si-Sana residents yesterday when a councillor suggested that not all inhabitants were against the proposed development there.

Outspoken councillor Luke Vella was noisily silenced by residents attending the meeting.

The saga of the proposed development of a car park under the garden at Qui-si-Sana and other structures above the car park is gathering momentum following the setting up on Wednesday of an ad hoc action committee to represent the residents. The committee is calling itself the Qui-Si-Sana Residents' Association.

During a meeting for residents at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, in Tigné on Wednesday, a resolution was unanimously approved calling on the Malta Environment and Planning Authority to refuse outright the application by the developers C & F Building Contractors because the residents argue the application does not conform to the development brief for Qui-si-Sana.

The residents also pointed out that the viability of the proposed development is in doubt.

They say the brief allows commercial activity and change of use at a time when at least two other car parks are planned for the area. "Change of use could open a Pandora's box," one of the residents said yesterday.

A copy of the resolution was yesterday passed on to the council by Anthony Camilleri, deputy chairman of the Qui-si-Sana Residents' Association, and read out by the council's secretary.

Councillors Michael Briguglio and Martin Debono protested that they did not have a copy of certain documents including a copy of a letter the council had received from Mepa dated November 30.

A fuming resident insisted that the council should hold more regular meetings with residents particularly when such a hot issue was vexing the people.

In the forthcoming meeting the council will be discussing the matter with the members of the residents' association.