Safi supermarket opens despite building permit controversy
Moviment Graffitti protested today that despite the pre-election controversy over the granting of a development permit for a supermarket outside a development zone in Safi, that supermarket had now been completed and was operating.
“When the permit was issued, many environmental organisations expressed their anger at this decision. It was then established by the auditor of MEPA that this permit should not have been granted and that the process was carried out in a totally irregular manner. The same board which issued this permit had to resign after it was discovered that in another case there were also gross irregularities in the issuing of a permit.
"However, unbelievably, no one lifted a finger to revoke the permit for this huge supermarket. Today, this supermarket is completed and has started operating, with the result that a huge tract of agricultural land has been forever destroyed,” Moviment Graffitti said.
It said this was just one case example of the destruction that is being carried out to the Maltese environment because of the interests of a few.
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In Discussion
14 Comments
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Nigel Lawrence
Oct 8th 2008, 19:41
OK children- DON'T visit Lidl. I don't think they will be too worried about your non-patronage when I see how crowded these stores are.
My own shopping bill has plummeted since using Lidl. 'Nuff said?
Joseph Attard
Oct 8th 2008, 17:44
C.Cassar
From your comment "with that argument we should build one on every corne" it seems that you don't live in that area. If people from Safi,Kirkop,Zurrieq,Mqabba etc... wanted to walk to the nearest supermarkets, then they would have to walk to either Luqa, Paola or Qormi.
Also you contributed nothing that highlights the usefulness of the Graffiti protest at this point in time. If they failed to stop it when it was not yet built, how can they do it now? Do you think the government affords this kind of behavior especially when foreign investments are involved?
True that land has been ruined, but then at least people living in that area will benefit this time. I would be totally agreeing with you if the land in question was ruined to build a block of apartments. My point is that there are hundreds of instances out there where contractors are ruining land for their own benefits and no one moves a finger or protests.
Joseph
C Cassar
Oct 8th 2008, 17:14
Joseph Attard: First you say that Graffiti should have chained themselves to the site to stop it being built. Then you say that the area was worth building. Which is the real you? As for people walking to the supermarket, with that argument we should build one on every corner.
Good of you to recycle etc (so do I, so should we all). But I know and you know that this is not what you meant when you said Graffitti should get their hands dirty, so why are you trying to pull the wool over my eyes?
Joseph Cauchi
Oct 8th 2008, 16:39
Why all this fuss for some agricultural land in Safi, to be turned into a supermarket ?
Why isn't the same fuss expressed to other agricultural land which is extremely fertile, being turned into pig and cow farms, when in the same area there are many empty farms that used to house pigs and cows. Why waste good agricultural land ! ! !
These new pig and cow farms should be housed in these old farms, without any question ! ! !
I am refering to the fertile land in the Salini and Maghtab area.
All those that are complaining about the Safi land, should also complain about the Salini and Maghtab.
.
Joseph Attard
Oct 8th 2008, 16:30
@C.Cassar & adrian borg cardona
I am from that area, and frankly considering the benefit that the supermarket provides us, then YES that area was worth building.
The same contractor and others have ruined far larger amounts of Land for their own speculative reasons. Why no one protests against these blocks of flats that most of them will remain empty considering the recent financial turmoils?
At the end of the day, people who live there can walk it to the supermarket rather than DRIVE to Qormi or Paola to buy their needs decently. What about that for the environment?
And finally to C.Cassar who asked me if I ever did anything for the environment, why don't you tell us what do you do first? I avoid using the car for short distances I can walk. I risk damaging my car by using a percentage of bio fuel in it, I bought energy efficient lighting and appliances, installed a solar water heater. Try to throw recyclable waste for recycling... What else do you do mr. Cassar? Please teach us how to better protect our environment.
Joseph
C Cassar
Oct 8th 2008, 15:59
Joseph Attard: How have you dirtied your hands for the sake of the environment? It's easy to tell others what to do.
Adrian Borg Cardona: Well said. I too will not buy from Lidl.
l Galea
Oct 8th 2008, 15:30
Joseph Attard
Yes it can and the supermarket builder should be made to return it to its natural state.
But in Malta its who you are and who you know and are friends with that counts.
angelo camilleri
Oct 8th 2008, 15:18
it is obvious that money talks, not just in malta, but it seems that in malta it happens often and always by the same rich folks.
adrian borg cardona
Oct 8th 2008, 15:14
How negative can you get? Well done Graffiti for protesting while the rest of the Maltese just say "Heqq, H'hemmx x'taghmel". And that goes for our Government too. This is one case where the Govt would have been justified to intervene and stop the unnecessary loss of our countryside. But of course, this Govt would never do that to one of its better supporters would they? I for one will never step into Lidl. I hope others will boycott it too.
Joseph Attard
Oct 8th 2008, 14:12
I cannot understand the usefulness of Graffiti's protests now that the supermarket is finished! Unless I'm not aware of it, they should have gone there, chained themselves and tried to stop the bull dozers from unearthing that agricultural land in the first place. Even if they manage to close the supermarket now, the agricultural land will never be restored again.
Come on graffiti, you should dirty your hands more!
J Farrugia
Oct 8th 2008, 14:06
Graffitti are a waste of time. You are welcome to visit Lidl at any time to buy your needs.
J. Borg
Oct 8th 2008, 13:58
Temporary caravans NO - Caqnu Yes!
Clive Aquilina Spagnol
Oct 8th 2008, 13:57
With our PM at the helm, this is more shameful that it can ever be! The very same person whom the electorate trusted specifically to stop or eliminate these scandals amongst others, seems to be not as effective as he should be!
Gino Galea
Oct 8th 2008, 13:50
Will ta' Cenc and Ramla 'l-hamra follow suit?
Hope that the predictable will be the unpredictable.
Gino Galea