Saturday, 13th December 2008 - 13:01CET

Attard council wants revision of local plan

The Attard council this morning called for a revision of the local plan for the central part of the island which expired on August 3.

Councillor Marco Spiteri told a news conference that an excessive number of plots were being turned into three storey buildings with penthouses and semi-basements making them, in actual fact, five storey blocks.

The conference was attended by MPs from both sides of the House, Alternattiva Demokratika and the environment non-governmental organisation Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar.

Mr Spiteri said that the council wanted to be consulted on the revision and residents wanted to give their input.

He said that development was infringing on third party rights and major inconvenience was being caused for residents. The traffic problem was also becoming major since houses were being transformed into a large number of apartments. Many residents were losing access to the roof and people were having to dry their clothes in balconies. All this was leading to Attard losing its character.

Nationalist MP David Agius proposed that all applications for development in the village should be objected to before the plan is revised so that residents would get a chance to analyses the applications and make their voice heard.

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Comments

Matthew Agius (on 15/12/08)

This is an issue that needs to be addressed immediately. Well done to Attard Local Council for taking such a stand and taking this initiative.

I hope that other local councils follow such initiatives in uniting with the residents and taking on the challenge (as should be) of seeing to such matter which often go unspoken of until it is too late.

Thumbs up Marco Spiteri and all those involved!!

It is good to see such contribution and initiative.

S Abela (on 13/12/08)

About time!!!! Attard is now ruined with all the blocks of flats...from a beautiful residential village you turned it into a construction site!! its already too late!!

C. Scerri (on 13/12/08)

Well done, let us see some action. Can someone from the council collect all the MEPA applications and let the people of Attard know say through the website - this would make opposition easier.

Let us stop this crazy and suicidal tendency of building high rise buildings composed of tiny box like apartments (or should I say slums). The law should be amended to keep to 2 storeys possible with a below street level basement - and not more. And no penthouses!

m psaila (on 13/12/08)

Well done to the attard local council. Although a Nationalist led council they managed to put politics aside and unite everyone together on a very important issue. prosit!

lgalea (on 13/12/08)

Ruth Grima
Nothing personal Ruth
Happy Weekend, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Chris Azzopardi (on 13/12/08)

@lgalea

Instead of calling the residents of Attard snobs why don't you get your local council to take a similar stand? Attard council should be commended for trying to do something at least albeit quite late in the day!!

Ruth Grima (on 13/12/08)

lgalea

Just because the Attard Local Council has decided to speak out against the excessive number of plots being turned into flats/apartments, makes Attard council and residents snobbish?....what are those local councils, who sit pretty doing nothing about the issue, called then?....Seems like one never gets anywhere with you. I'd rather be called a snob whilst fighting for my rights, than be bulldozed over...literally!

And yes, I have a right to complain about Attard because that is where Im from. I have no right to speak about other localities, simply because I do not live there. This reasoning far from makes me a snob with the NIMBY ('not in my back yard') syndrome. My reasoning stems from the fact that we live in a democracy where everyone is allowed to voice his/her opinion. So whilst you are entitled to yours, you have no right to judge others for fighting for their rights by calling them snobs.

Happy weekend :)

Ray Sultana (on 13/12/08)

I agree perfectly with the Attard council. The local plans proved to be distastrous for many of our towns and villages. It is absolutely shameful that formerly elegant areas such as Attard, Lija, Swieqi, San Gwann, Ta' Giorni and Mellieha have been allowed to be destroyed with 5 storey blocks in the midst of 2 storey terraced houses. Rows of 2 storey terraced houses created a sense of visual harmony, however with the continuous change in building heights permitted we now have these 5 strorey buildings that stick out like a sore thumb in the middle of rows of 2 strorey houses.

lgalea (on 13/12/08)

Ruth Grima
Your posting confirms the NIMBY syndrome Ruth.
Quote "Why should i complain about other areas when im busy complaining about Attard?(my area). "

Ruth Grima (on 13/12/08)

@lgalea

Charity begins at home. Why should i complain about other areas when im busy complaining about Attard?(my area). I've been signing petitions and other compalints against the amount of property goin up for the past year!!!

Robert Shaw (on 13/12/08)

Finally, the Attard Council has woken up! My wife and I moved to our residence 22 years ago, in an area that was once earmarked for villas, bangaloos, terraced houses and moisonettes. Not so now, we are surrounded by 3/5 storey apartments. We once had a beautiful view, enably us to see as far as the Delimara chimney, long gone now. Apparently the old part of Attard is now under attack. Are we to see our village be turned into another Sliema, knocking down the old character houses to lifeless structures. We would like to say a big thank to all those who are contributing to the slow destruction of Attard.

lgalea (on 13/12/08)

I've never heard the H'Attard local council and H'Attard residents protesting against the building of high rise apartments in other areas, so is it not the case that the H'Attard local council and H'Attard residents suffering from the NIMBY syndrome?

A Calleja (on 13/12/08)

@ Igalea
There's nothing snobbish about protecting an old town centre. Even in areas that are not as old as the town centre great care must be taken not to approve buildings that jar with the existing residences, especially high rise ones. I am glad that the local council has finally taken a stand. We must preserve the character of our town. If snobbish means caring then yes, Attard is full of snobs!!...and many will be those that will support the council's initiative.

G. Scerri (on 13/12/08)

I reiterate what I publically stated months ago. Attard is not a community. It has become a traffic stream that swirls and eddies round isolated oasis, all cut off from each other. It is almost impossible to drive out of your garage in the morning and equally difficult to get in again in the evening if you live in formerly quiet streets that have become roads. Has the pollution in Attard been measured? The only value this particular bit of news has for me is that, to my surprise, there still seems to be a flicker of life in our local council .

Alfred Grech (on 13/12/08)

At last the council of Attard has woken up......alas too late, just visit Triq San Pawl and whilst you are there say a thanksgiving prayer to the experts at MEPA for destroying our quant narrow street with two large private development car parks relieving themselves through our little micro neighbourhood.

lgalea (on 13/12/08)

So is it OK for other localities to have blocks of flats but not for H'Attard?
Suffering from the NIMBY syndrome?
How snobbish!

Attard council wants revision of local plan

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