Sliema PN councillors 'stand by' Qui-Si-Sana brief

The Sliema Nationalist Party local councillors said they "stand by the Qui-Si-Sana development brief, nothing more, nothing less".

Mayor Albert Bonello Dupuis, deputy mayor Gloria Mizzi and the other four PN councillors said the brief provides for a resident parking zone (RPZ), an underground car park, a garden and an innovative visitor attraction.

"If a resident parking zone were to be introduced for Qui-Si-Sana only without providing adequate off-street parking, current parking problems at Qui-Si-Sana would simply be transferred to other parts of Sliema. For this reason, the PN councillors reaffirm the need for a car park and the need for the RPZ to eventually cover the whole of Sliema," they said.

The councillors said the amount of Commuted Parking Payment Scheme funds held by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority was proof that there was need to provide for additional off-street parking.

However, they said they objected to the latest submissions to Mepa by the developer, arguing that these were non-compliant with the development brief on three counts.

The councillors said no development permit for the car park can be issued until and unless the RPZ is properly defined in a manner which is acceptable to the council.

"We will be insisting with Mepa that the developer abides by the development brief and is given a fixed date to comply with this request. If this is not done, then the application should be refused," they said.

The councillors said they deplored the "misinformation" on the proposed project being circulated through the media and by word of mouth. "This is aimed solely at tarnishing the Sliema council's image for political reasons. We also deplore the Malta Labour Party for doing its utmost to instil partisan politics and politics of opportunism in local issues, such as in the case of the proposed Qui-Si-Sana project," they concluded.