Protected tree facing the chop - FAA

Tania Farrugia

Oct 30th 2008, 09:42

Re the DCC's decision, the application was NOT refused because they had any qualms about uprooting the tree. Mr Portelli, were you present at the said meeting?? If so, you would know that the reason for refusal was because a next-door neighbour argued that the proposed development would (obviously) be deeper than the existing premises. All of a sudden, after 12 months of back and forth and recommendations made by MEPA (which we faithfully took note of and acted accordingly), the permit has again been refused....by 4 people out of 5 on the DCC board, after a full report made by another MEPA department FULLY approved the development and recommended to grant....
as for Mr J Borg's comments about no proposed back garden...dear sir, you must be looking at the wrong plans....please contact me on my email address given in my first comment and come see the plans...then make further comments if you wish....
Ms Hansen I myself would be very sorry to see the tree go too...however I am also very sorry that my family cannot go quietly about their business and feel secure in their old age.... but of course that is not important here, is it????

G. Portelli

Oct 29th 2008, 12:49

Dear all concerned,

The awrikarja tree can live!!

Board Decision
Refuse Permission

Decision date
Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Board Comments
DCC Meeting No. 9402208 held on 29th October, 2008 Refused 4-1. The Board still considers that the depth of development is too deep and still impairs on the back gardens

Isaac Zarb

Oct 29th 2008, 10:38

@Julian Caruana,

Wrong is wrong, why should we kill this tree so someone can profit from this? Do we really need another block of apartments ? do we have homeless people waiting to live in the building due to the lack of empty buildings????
this is nonsense and ignorance especially from MEPA, i've seen several occasions of properties with large back gardens being torn down, so that we can build another block of apartments. and what happens to the gardens, they vanish. Am i the only one who cares about the environment ? i was under the impression that Dr Gonzi was going to reform mepa.
Good work...NOT

Pamela Hansen

Oct 29th 2008, 09:47

Although I appreciate Ms Farrugia's (the developer) predicament. I wish I had the money. If I had I would take up her offer. I assure her, that I for one have long appreciated this particular Awrikarja tree, which I can see through one of my windows. That superb tree and the beautiful palm not far from it, are the only two trees left supplying oxygen between the traffic laden Manwel Dimech Street and the Ferries, not to mention the only pleasant vista among the concrete jungle, TV aerials, the ever increasing (in size as well as numbers) mobile phone antennas and the Tigne Point monstrosity in the backfround. If I could send a photo more people would understand the importance of preserving this tree.

Mark Galea

Oct 29th 2008, 08:16

Oooooh much ado about nothing. Just get the applicant to apply the Swedish method....plant a new tree for the one being cut down. I am pretty sure she would be more than happy to plant a whole row of such trees in an appropriate place. Besides, they grow fairly quickly so ...

Joseph Ellul

Oct 29th 2008, 01:11

Hey, read this, its amazing. The Australian government is suggesting to go ahead with the carbon trading scheme. Let us say that the Maltese want to destroy Buskett Gardens to build a computer chip village, then the Maltese will pay Australia to establish a new Buskett in Australia. This is great EH !! This is what the world has come to. In a 100 years Europe will be full of cancer and the Mediterranean Sea full of Shit and Malta will be right in the middle of it. Once you start killing the trees , you might as well shoot your own kids. I pity you and all who are like you.

victor vella

Oct 28th 2008, 23:09

Miss Pecorella.If I had a million pounds in my pocket and I am going to die anyway believe me those million pounds wont be in my pocket for too long.Now for the argument, the tree is private property, the garden in which it stands is private property, the owner of the house and the adjoining garden is a free person who would like to invest her property yes like many others in development, who is to stop her, just because someone long ago decided to plant a tree Ms Farrugia should not be denied her right.What would you Ms Pecorella say if I forbid you to do somthing which you are legally entitled to do? Scream blue murder and rightly so, I along with my family had property in Qormi, a disused bakery built over 250 years ago, it was falling to bits MEPA told us that we couldnt demolish it , but no one gave us money to upkeep and maintain it. When it became a danger to the public we where taken to court and fined for not mantaining the property.A man nearly lost his life repairing the place when it collapsed on him.

j borg

Oct 28th 2008, 21:15

@t Farrugia

I've seen the plans of the development. There is no garden in the proposed development. The existing garden is meant to be fully excavated to accommodate a number of garages whereas, the said terraces and garden are the roof area of the garages and which are marked greenery. to be developed by third parties. This is not a garden just an open space awaiting to be developed. The whole project just blocks all the existing open spaces in an Urban Conservation Area where planning policies dictate a certain type of development including that of retaining open spaces, gardens and amenity sites. So much for careful development.

Chris Grillo

Oct 28th 2008, 21:00

It pains me to say this, being an ardent admirer of nature as God intended...but if it were my property, knowing how much I work to save pennies for a rainy day, and knowing that the sale of this property would set me, my wife and kids on a better track than battling every day to survive the next tax or bill, I would have no qualms about chopping it down by hand!

Why am I saying this? I am a person who willingly donates out money to plant trees with 34U, but sometimes it is impossible to look a gift horse in the mouth. Of course I would see what I can do to save it first, but failing that... Sometimes we talk just for the sake of talking, but just imagine that..having a million euros in your bank account..just to (sadly..) remove a tree.

And it is in my private back-yard? My possession innit? A pity, but it is easier to write about justice, what ifs, and what nots...

josianne frendo

Oct 28th 2008, 20:47

I to used to live and play around this tree but believe me both garden and house are not safe and enjoyable anymore to us or the neighbours. I am sure all will agree with us when the new development is done as there will be a good sized garden taken care of which will be enjoyed by both the neighbours and residents just like my family and I used to do. Hope you all get the message.

sonya pecorella

Oct 28th 2008, 15:49

to Victor Vella:

your argument doesn't justify....there is a system that should be respected...if you had a million pounds in your pocket and you were dying anyway, would i be justified in killing you to take your money? maybe i would want to do it...but the system won't allow......and same for the environment.....you might be worth something to someone...and trees are worth something to some people

Tania Farrugia

Oct 28th 2008, 15:24

I am the applicant for the development in question. I myself used to live in the house that my grandparents bought in 1955, and spent much time in this garden. As we all know, time ravages everything...the house now lies derelict.....older family members have passed on, although my parents and aunt (all in their 70's and heirs of the house) are hoping that new life will be replaced on the site thanks to very careful planning....as at the moment the garden is overrun with weeds and is nowhere near being enjoyed by anyone at all. The plans for the development include a 70sqm garden plus a 45sqm terrace at ground floor level. I myself was closely involved in the planning of such a development so as to retain the best option possible for an alternative acceptable environment to the existing mess.
If however, any of you making comments here wishes to purchase the premises as is to 'enjoy' the view of this back garden and tree (which, until an application was submitted for development, nobody even knew about), feel free to contact me on tania.farrugia@gg.com.mt. Thank you Mr Victor Vella and Mr Tim Ripard for your very valid comments below.....

Julian Caruana

Oct 28th 2008, 14:41

@ victor vella : Well said.

What is all the fuss on one single tree in Sliema?? It is in a back garden thus not making much difference to any of us, If you are all so green why don't you all go to San Gwann valley where carob trees that are hundreds of years old ( protected ) are being cut and destroyed by farmers and NO ONE is lifting a finger about it, So I ask the same question again WHAT IS ALL THE FUSS ABOUT A SINGLE TREE IN A BACK YARD in Sliema????? Please invest you energy on more productive issues.

T. Ellul

Oct 28th 2008, 13:08

Has anyone at MEPA and the Department of Agriculture even given any thought to transplanting such a magnificent tree? That is to carefully pull it up by the roots, transport it, and plant at another location.

This is commonly done in Canada by landscaping companies. If it can be done in Canada, where the climate is not as kind to trees as it is in Malta, then there is no reason why this cannot be done in Malta. Follow this link - http://landscaping.about.com/cs/shrubsbushes/ht/transplanting.htm - or search the Internet using "Transplanting Mature Trees" as a search phrase, for some ideas.

If there is one thing that Malta needs more of, it is trees. They beautify the surroundings and clean the air at the same time. Save the tree - transplant it.

j borg

Oct 28th 2008, 09:52

In the early nineties while MEPA was still the Planning Authority, it had issued a Tree Conservation Order on a similar tree which was found within a normal building scheme at St Paul's Bay. The tree is still there and the building was also built. It seems that the higher up the environment goes on the polical agenda, the lower the value given to trees and open spaces within Urban Conservation Areas, as is the case with this tree. Someone must be making a few bucks from compensatory planting!

Joe Galea

Oct 28th 2008, 08:53

Amy Winehouse would sing a song for Tim and the Maltese green men:
"I don't want the tree here, I want to chop, chop, chop. If I had the time, I would chop it all down, ......I don't want this tree here, I say no, no, no....."

Song adaptation from "Rehab" by Amy Winehouse

Joe Galea

Oct 28th 2008, 08:47

Well done to MEPA and those who take decisions. Who needs greenery? Isn't it better having a concrete jungle? Let's build more hobbit apartments, putting them on the market at the same price of a nice villa, and being hard to be sold.

Let's destroy every bit of nature left!! Where is JPO the green man of the year? Doesn't he contest on the Sliema bill in elections?

I was in Perpignan (France) last month and lately they have refurbished the main square, which happened to host 10 enormous (3-storey high) palm trees. Due to the constructions the trees couldn't be left there. So the environmentally friendly council decided to transfer these trees temporarily to a safer place, for which a container for each tree was hired for the purpose. Now the trees are back into place and look healthy and decorate the surroundings as before. But we maltese green people, the only idea we get is to chop chop chop.

Only in Malta!!!!

victor vella

Oct 28th 2008, 06:50

Let the first one of you who owns a piece of land worth over a million pounds and is willing to leave it idle just because of a tree raise his finger. Look me in the eye and swear that he/she won't chop that tree down .

Charmaine Attard

Oct 28th 2008, 04:57

Do we need all this development? I wonder cause we have so many vacant places. Besides we should protect and appreciate what nature has to offer us especially old trees cause it takes years to have such a majestic beauty.

Joseph E Briffa

Oct 27th 2008, 21:53

With 40 000 or more vacant houses, of which maybe half can be lived in at an expense of a few thousand euros, does it make sense to continue pulling down properties and replacing them with concrete matchboxes, 70% of which remain vacant for ages? Are we not acting crazily? I believe that only 30% of the properties appearing on the market every year are being sold. If this is the case, the situation for developers can only get worse as the number of vacant apartments will progressively go up which, in turn will bring prices further down. And how long can developers keep repaying their bank loans without recouping their expenses by selling or renting their properties? And if developers default on their repayments wouldn't they forfeit their properties? It beats me how developers still keep going on at the same pace?

Astrid Vella

Oct 27th 2008, 21:17

Tim, my good friend, can you really, and with a straight face, tell me that this sparse tree blocks out more light from the building behind, than the building of a six-floor block of flats just ten feet away from the residents' back windows? That they will need to use less energy on heating and light when they are completely blocked, and that the development option will be more sustainable? And on what authority have you decided that this tree which has survived well over fifty years is dangerous as you state?

Tim, surely you're taking your pro-development stand a bit too far, especially for someone who's not even involved in the development industry?

tony grech

Oct 27th 2008, 20:29

A few years ago a Gozitan farmer was fined LM1000 for moving a palm tree from one place to the other,and it is still living in the new place, and not chopped down like what is going to happen to this magnificant tree,this country is really "Pajjiz tal Mickey Mouse" kollox mar il bahar, Zepp.

Tim Ripard

Oct 27th 2008, 20:18

The tree blocks sunlight from entering through windows, thereby necessitating the use of electricity to light and heat, and thus the tree is potentially harmful to the environment. It also looks like a potential source of danger to property. My neighbour had to chop down a similar tree because of the hazard it posed to the nearby properties - strong winds can easily drop trees onto buildings (not to mention people). I'm all for protecting the environment but one outsized and dangerous tree hardly qualifies.

T Aquilina

Oct 27th 2008, 19:38

'Only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.' Native American Proverb.

Matthew Borg Cardona

Oct 27th 2008, 19:04

It doesn't matter anymore. Go ahead - chop this one down too.

Liam Kelly

Oct 27th 2008, 18:23

40 % of houses in Malta lieing empty and we're still tearing up greenery to build yet more appartments in Sliema.

shameful.

Ray Sultana

Oct 27th 2008, 18:02

It would be really shameful if this tree and this beautiful garden had to disappear to make way for apartments!

In most countries apartment blocks are surrounded by beautiful gardens which enhance the value of the same apartments. Why is it that in Malta when a terraced house makes way for a block of apartments the area occupied by the garden is built over as well? Mepa should ensure that the built footprint of the property does not increase.

In this case the garden should be retained and be made available to all the future residents of the apartments. Such a measure would make the individual aprtments more attractive and therefore more valuable, especially in a crowded area like Sliema, where there is such a lack of open spaces.

I hope that common sense prevails and that this garden would be saved from destruction.

Paul Muscat

Oct 27th 2008, 14:48

What a waste of money and cynical hypocracy are the MEPA adverts promoting the environment! Hanfusa and ghabex protection my foot !

Michael Briguglio

Oct 27th 2008, 14:35

The recommendation of the Dept of Agriculture and Heritage Advisory Committee is shocking. Following my initiative, Sliema Local Council objected to MEPA against any proposal that goes against regulations and laws. Let's hope that MEPA takes heed of the recommendation of Sliema Local Council.

Joe Xuereb

Oct 27th 2008, 13:48

Is MEPA accountable to anybody at all?

peter camilleri

Oct 27th 2008, 12:51

The same fate met two very aged norfolk island pines at birzebbugia near the boys' museum......no one protested then.....don't ask me why....maybe the B'Bugia local council knows something about it.

P M Camilleri

Oct 27th 2008, 12:16

This country went to the dogs ages ago! The battle for the environment has been lost in this country. We have to resign ourselves to the fact that we have an impotent government who can do absolutely nothing to stop such things from happening. Our tiny little isle could never, I repeat, never take such heavy over-development. The results are there for all to see. Viva il-progress!

K Mallia

Oct 27th 2008, 12:14

When will greed to gobble up every inch of green space and every living tree stop?? What will it take to make some people realise that we are destroying our own country with block upon blocks of box-like flats and maisonettes? Lets hope common sense prevails and MEPA is wise enough to stop speculators from wreaking even more havoc to our heritage and preserve the precious little we have left!

rita camilleri

Oct 27th 2008, 12:06

Can't they build around it?? Way back in the 80's a factory in Gzira had an old palm tree and the new owners just built around it and it served as a land mark.

Joe Micallef

Oct 27th 2008, 11:57

When some 7 Ficus hundred-year-old trees in Balzan Valley, Balzan, were decimated some months ago nobody mentioned MEPA or Tree Preservation Orders. Even though some of the trees were very crudely pruned apparently to enable a contractor to place a huge crane near his building site.

a. sciberras

Oct 27th 2008, 11:50

So much for having the environment as a priority in this legislature! one foul after the other! Curbing littering is important but this should be even more important as it impacts on our standard of living and of that of our children!!

l Galea

Oct 27th 2008, 11:38

More concrete matchbox apartments with exorbitant prices for the greedy speculators with the approval of MEPA!

S. Abela

Oct 27th 2008, 11:23

MEPA should give a nice breath to Sliema and whereabouts by not-issuing any building permits for at least 10 years! And please, stop over zealous developers, they're just ruining the environment for us citizens with more bricks and no greenery.

G Darmanin

Oct 27th 2008, 10:44

"The tree is one of the last natural landmarks in Sliema but it is to make way for apartments, the group said."

Great! Less nature and more (unsold) apartments in Sliema!!