Leisure park proposal dubbed electoral stunt

The news that WasteServ plans to convert land next to the Marsascala waste recycling plant into a park has received a cool reception from the group campaigning against the plant.

During a news conference yesterday, the group described the project and the timing of the news as a cheap stunt aimed at attracting votes before Saturday's local council elections.

The committee's secretary, Joe Sant, said the proposal to turn the land into a park was originally made by the Marsascala council in 1997. The council had lobbied hard for the project in 1999 but never found any support. "Now, a few days before the election, the government comes up with this proposal," he said, making reference to an article in The Times in which the plans for the project were unveiled.

"We want the park because there is a need for one, but this doesn't mean we have to accept the recycling plant and fish farms," he insisted.

The news conference also focused on the committee's battle against the redevelopment of the plant both in court and before the Malta Environment and Planning Authority's appeals board.

The lobby group's lawyer, Owen Bonnici, who is also a Labour Party councillor at Marsascala, filed a judicial letter over the matter yesterday (see opposite page).

The committee had asked Mepa to order WasteServ to carry out a study to assess the plant's impact on the health of residents and on property prices.

The authority failed to uphold the request, Mr Sant said, which is why the judicial letter was presented. "We have been told that despite these objections, Mepa will be making a final decision on the plant after the election."

So far Mepa has approved an outline development plan and the next step would be to accept or turn down a full development application. However, Mr Sant insists it has no authority to do this as an appeal is still pending and he was prepared to make a legal challenge if need be.

Speaking on Saturday's elections, which in Marsascala will also be contested by a new independent group led by Josie Muscat, Mr Sant called on residents to review the situation carefully and vote wisely. The new council should involve residents not only to protect the locality from harmful projects but also to be able to take action when needed.

Mr Sant said the committee believed in sustainable waste recycling, but also felt that nobody should be made to pay the consequences.