Sarah Carabott
Public must have more say on large projects – Sliema residents
Sixty two parking slots from The Point to The Ferries will be lost to make way for a bus lane.
Sliema residents’ representatives yesterday protested that large projects in the town were being pushed through with a “nominal public consultation process”.
The NGOs said unpublished design brief modifications for the Midi development proposed adding several high-rise tower blocks exploiting the lack of a clear Malta Environment and Planning Authority policy on this issue.
The Sliema Residents Association, the Qui-Si-Sana and Tigné Residents Association and Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar (FAA) said they considered it high time that Mepa enforced the developers’ duties to inform the public and “enter into a real public consultation process which would produce constructive debate on mega projects like Tigné North and Town Square which will add hundreds more residential units to our already overcrowded town”.
The meeting focused on lack of public consultation, overdevelopment, air pollution, construction site regulations and lack of parking space.
FAA coordinator Astrid Vella said the authorities should encourage prospective applicants to identify, enter into discussion, and provide information to the public.
“The responsibility of holding a public meeting to inform the residents about the developments shouldn’t fall on NGOs.
“Although Town Square developers did enter into discussion with NGOs, they didn’t do the same with the public,” she added. The Town Square public consultation process closed on June 1, while the Midi public consultation process closes today. The Midi development brief was unavailable, Ms Vella said.
“The information available on the Mepa site, which is extremely hard to find and so large that it is impossible to download, was not publicised enough,” Ms Vella said.
She said in spite of the regulations on environmental management of construction sites dealing with development nuisances, noise and dust pollution prevailed.
She also referred to the 62 parking spaces that had been removed to make way for a bus lane on the Tigné Sea Front as part of an agreement reached between Transport Malta and Arriva to divert buses away from the recently pedestrianised Bisazza Street.
“Like all other aspects of the Bisazza street projects, no public consultation was carried out with the residents about the reduction of parking lots along Qui-Si-Sana,” she insisted.
In the meantime, the Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises – GRTU yesterday held a meeting with Resources Minister George Pullicino to discuss “a practical solution” for the Sliema promenade parking problem.
The union said the decision to remove the parking slots had been taken without consultation with business community representatives.
The GRTU appealed to the Prime Minister to intervene so that the “matter can be resolved without much further argument as the alternative plan presented by the GRTU mitigates favourably the negative impact on commerce in Bisazza Street and the surrounding area”.
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Mr John Apap
Jun 24th 2011, 21:18
Another bone of contention. It seems to me that the only people who 'protect' the WHOLE island are the NGOs. They work tirelessly, irrespective of who is in Government, to see that fair-play is maintained. Unfortunately, as Mr Jo Camm and Mr Tony Gatt, it is only when things or circumstances effect you, do you complain. You voted your council in politically, now you cannot complain, when things are done without due consultation and arrogance. This is the way things are. To change them you have to vote in a clever manner. One in Government and locally in opposition, whatever the colour.
Mr Joe Morana
Jun 24th 2011, 19:19
If one had to take Sliema as .MEPA's urban planning yardstick!! Sliema's air pollution levels which exceed EU safeguard levels and Transport Malta's inability to come up with appropriate holistic traffic managament measures as MEPA's and Transport Malta's performance benchmark!!s and with the ever seemingly complacent and disfunctonal Sliema Local Council!!.. all paid for by taxpayers' money, Sliema residents, are really facing a very sad future . Shame !!
Marcel Mifsud
Jun 24th 2011, 18:22
Can we know what the GRTU plan is all about? I am sure it will not take us Tigne and Qui-Si-Sana residents into any account/consideration, just look at the GRTU plans say for Paceville, any consideration ever given to the Paceville residents who now have lost their town to wild commerce. Mr. Farrugia keep out please
Victor Rodenas
Jun 24th 2011, 14:23
Perhaps I am mistaken,but was`nt it planned that Marsamxett would have some sort of a much needed breakwater ?
Mr Chris Xuereb
Jun 24th 2011, 12:48
By any chance are the constantly complaining Sliema residents made up of the the ones that didn't object to dropping down the old Sliema houses to move into a concrete filing cabinet themselves?
Mr Jo Camm
Jun 24th 2011, 12:39
Jiena dejjem inhobb nikkwota dak li ghallmuni missirijietna: 'Mitt bniedem mitt fehma' = Kieku qabel ma jaqbel kulhadd ma jimxix ix-xoghol qatt ma jsir xejn hawn Malta. Hemm ohra - 'Kulhadd ihokk fejn jieklu' = Mur ghagob lil kulhadd??
Mr D Psaila
Jun 24th 2011, 12:13
It's a bit late now. Its no good closing the stable door once the horse has bolted. Sliema is ruined for ever. Instead of preserving and modernising old buildings many people just want to cover everywhere in concrete, build uninmaginative and boring boxes and make as much money as possible in the process.
Jon Vercellono
Jun 24th 2011, 11:18
Ah, but a level playing field and the same rules for both sides is important. The former Councillor mentioned worked tirelessly to level the playing ground for all and establish a discourse between development and citizens (for the benefit of the entire republic and not only Sliema).
Mr joseph saliba
Jun 24th 2011, 10:49
Some (or many?) still have to learn the rules. Blaming the referee, the regulations and everything else is not game. The pracarious balance between sensitivity and timely-intervention is rarely accepted by all concerned in such projects. There are also those whose agenda is to go on harping forever about petty 'discrepancies' .
Astrid Vella
Jun 24th 2011, 13:20
Mr. Joe Saliba, if you think that breaking the terms of a UN Convention to which Malta is a signatory is a 'petty discrepancy' I dread to hear what your respect for other laws is.
This is not an optional matter. Malta BOUND ITSELF to carry out adequate public consultation. Out of around 300 persons present yesterday, most of whom living in the Midi area, not a SINGLE ONE was aware of the public consultation. How's that for obeying the EU's and UN's laws.
As usual, we only go in for something to see what we can sponge off, and not to shoulder our responsibilities.
Ms pamela hansen
Jun 24th 2011, 10:30
Since I overlook this particular site, I would like to see where in the compact maze of monoliths at Tigne further development is actually possible?
Odette Longo
Jun 24th 2011, 13:25
Ditto that. I was looking at the plans and I couldn't figure out where either . PLUS I don't think the current residents who paid hundreds of thousands for their apartment will be too pleased at further crowding of tigne point.
Jon Vercellono
Jun 24th 2011, 09:10
It seems as though there was a Sliema Councillor (once upon a time) who made a tremendous investment on behalf of the Slimizi - and in particular these concerns - only to be voted out of the council. Please make up your minds as to what you actually want; intervention on your behalf with the "powers that be" or the status quo politically; these arguments - whilst legitimate - cannot "ring true" if one considers that the opportunity and means did exist to combat these problems and they were discarded arbitrarily..
Mr Tony Gatt
Jun 24th 2011, 09:41
If one elects councillors purely on their political affiliations rather than what they can do for a locality then no-one can grumble at the consequences. Sadly, that'sthe Maltese way.
Mr Victor Laiviera
Jun 24th 2011, 11:29
@ Mr Tony Gatt
It could have been otherwise. When the Local Councils were set up every body -The Church, the (M)LP, the Unions and nearly all Civil Society organisations - were against the participation of the Political Parties. Only the PN wanted it and, as it had the power of government, it imposed it's will.
We can see the results now - political polarisation right down to the lowest levels and matters decided on party lines, rather than community priorities.
Victor Rodenas
Jun 24th 2011, 12:42
Well said Mr. Laivera ,politics should have been left out of the councils general workmanship.As it is good working people are left out and other medioric people are elected just because of their colours ,I hope that this will change in the future if people agree that it is wrong,otherwise things will remain as they are,..we say,`irbahna,irbahna`,..and will continue to grumble forever.I hope that if no politics are involved people will vote with their brain and not with their heart.
Gustav Svensson
Jun 24th 2011, 09:05
A little bit too late. Sliema is today a concrete getto..polluted and unattractive.