The government is expected to change the Qui-Si-Sana development brief so that Sliema residents will not have to pay for parking in their locality, sources said yesterday.

The proposed development of a car park in Qui-Si-Sana, vociferously opposed by many residents over the past months, took a twist recently at a meeting involving Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, Deputy Prime Minister Tonio Borg, Nationalist Party general secretary Joe Saliba, all Sliema MPs, the district committee and the Nationalist members of the Sliema council.

The development brief carried a proposal for a residents' parking zone. This meant that a system of "nominal" parking fees would be charged by the Qui-Si-Sana car park developer as payment for setting up signs and for running the parking zone.

But at the meeting held on February 12 it was agreed that this and other parts of the brief should be changed after the Prime Minister "understood the residents' opposition" to having to pay to park outside their houses, the sources said.

On the commercial aspect of the project, which residents are saying will destroy the only remaining peaceful area of Sliema, it was decided that if a kiosk were built above ground it would be a "small kiosk with no music or late opening allowed".

The sources noted that, amid growing concern that going through with the development would result in the PN losing votes in Sliema, those present agreed that residents' opposition to the proposed car park "should not be taken lightly".

"It was also agreed there should be two consultation meetings that will cover the whole brief and not just the residents' parking zone issue as originally intended," the sources said, adding the overall thrust of the meeting was for the car park to be built.

Residents, however, are insisting a car park in their area is unneeded. Qui-Si-Sana Residents' Association president Simon Camilleri said yesterday: "Residents do not want the car park, period".

Making a case against the need of a car park in Qui-Si-Sana, Dr Camilleri said the Midí and Town Square projects will provide adequate parking for their visitors' needs.

While the Pjazzetta is also to be turned into an underground car park and the planned Ghar id-Dud car park will provide a further 200 spaces, existent car parks like the one in High Street remain under-utilised, he said.

"There will be more available spaces once Bank of Valletta moves out of Tagliaferro Centre," said Dr Camilleri, explaining that the real parking problem was found in other areas of Sliema which had a high density of car owners and a lack of garages.

At a January meeting, residents had felt aggrieved that government MPs elected from their district were ignoring their cause.

Of the government MPs the association had written to, only backbencher Robert Arrigo, the former Sliema mayor who is publicly against the development, wrote back offering his support. The others acknowledged the letter.

Mr Arrigo, who was at the meeting, said when contacted that Dr Gonzi had been "humane" and that he had understood the residents' concern over the proposed development.