A massive development project is being planned at the former Trade Fair grounds in Naxxar. At a meeting organised by the Naxxar local council last year, architect Ray Demicoli presented the project to us Naxxar residents and other interested individuals, in much the same way he would have probably presented it to potential investors.
He reported facts which we residents were already all too familiar with: that our village square has become a main road, highly polluted and congested by cars; that the traditional village way of life is being challenged by faster lives and different social expectations. Nothing of this is new to us. What he failed to mention is that, just like in other towns, there are other, contemporary waves of sociality in Naxxar.
After showing us how daily life in Naxxar has been destroyed by the forces of modern life, the architect commissioned with the project went on to show how this project will bring all this back into the picture – not in our village square, but at the former Trade Fair grounds. The project is being touted as an update on the Maltese village. The outline plan that was submitted to the Planning Authority is for 490 residential units of up to eight storeys, 5,000 square metres of offices and 3,000 square metres of retail outlets spread over 47 blocks with just over 1,000 parking bays.
All of course surrounded by ‘typical Naxxar’ narrow roads and a pjazza. The crucial difference that was overlooked is that this project will not be developed on public land, but on private land; it is not done out of the love and nostalgia he recalled in his introduction, but for profit-making purposes. Naxxar, he went on, needs his project to develop into a ‘modern’ town. As though without it, Naxxar would remain the backward village of yesteryear.
Naxxar residents have been meeting independently on a regular basis. A core group has been set up and the publicly-known details of the project have been discussed. This land is privately owned by the descendants of the late Marquis Scicluna, a figure much loved and respected by the Naxxarin. The land is being developed according to the Local Area Plan approved in 2006, which allows the land to be developed for ‘high quality’ residential units in the case of a cessation of trade fair activity in the area.
Considering that the population of Naxxar currently stands at over 13,000 people, this project will increase the population by almost 10 per cent
This policy lays down a range of conditions, including provisions that a local centre must be also developed, that there be a height limitation of four floors and that the development consists “of small built volumes with inter-connected, well landscaped terraces and passageways that will, in time, soften the mass of the blocks” (and excludes monolithic or high building blocks).
For to be clear, this is not the typical plot of land on which the pervasive model of garages, maisonette, two flats and penthouse are being built. Nor is this development one that is envisaging heights of four/five storeys (with penthouse): the current application under ‘consideration’ by the Planning Authority is of five storeys including a penthouse (previously it was eight!). We are speaking of a development of massive proportions with around 500 apartments, not to mention the 5,000 square metres of office space and shops, and few villas. Considering that the population of Naxxar (not including daily workers) currently stands at over 13,000 people, this project will increase the population by nearly 10 per cent.
It will have an immediate and negative impact on our lives, both during the long construction phase and afterwards, not least because of the strain on infrastructure, increase in car congestion and the exacerbation of a lack of open and green spaces in Naxxar.
My appeal is to the Prime Minister. It is our government’s responsibility to ensure that where rights are in conflict, a solution is found. It is our government’s responsibility to make sure that our well-being is safeguarded.
This can be done in either of two ways. One option would be for the government to purchase the area and develop it into a public park. Alternatively, given the very different urban scenario to 2006, changes could be made to the Local Area Plan in such a manner that first, there be no ‘special’ height allowances for this development (today or in the future!) and it would include large-scale open spaces with a guarantee that they can be used by the public.
This would benefit the people of Naxxar and also the surrounding areas, not least, the burgeoning urban sprawl of Mosta. Alternatives exist but they require the authorities to be on the side of us citizens.
Daniela Debono is a senior lecturer in international migration and ethnic relations at Malmö University, Sweden.