I have to congratulate the people of Balzan for managing to keep their heritage intact. I cannot say the same for the town of Mosta. The people of Mosta have not been kept informed, as they should be, by whoever has the town's heritage at heart.

At this very moment work has already started on a building of 24 apartments and 26 garages right on the edge of our picturesque Wied Il-Għasel valley exactly opposite Casa Arkati in the last two fields remaining in the town centre. This application was conveniently tucked away and processed unknown to all in the immediate area.

This development means heavy trucks, machinery and congestion which will be the norm every day at this end of Constitution Street as these heavy trucks will be exiting and entering right into the main traffic flow from 146/148, which also happens to have about seven metres width of frontage. This building will add 24 families and 26 garages, and no one has considered the impact of all the congestion which will be imminently added to the already problematic traffic situation in Mosta. Apart from this, having just one drive-in onto the pavement will be a definite hazard for pedestrians.

As always, money comes first and if no one has mentioned it yet, this project is replacing the previous project for an old people's home on this same site which was turned down back in 2004. Why should what was not right then for a worthy project, be right now for a money-making project that will be of no benefit to the people of Mosta?

So wake up Mosta and do what you have to do to stop this rape of our hometown. This will be the start of a domino effect as there will be no stopping others from doing just the same. There will come a time when there was once Wied il-Għasel in the town of Mosta.