Updated 9.20pm - Full report

The land reclamation projects proposed in the Paceville master plan would turn swimming zones as far away as Exiles in Sliema into a "stagnant creek", residents complained this evening.

Speaking at a meeting for residents organised by green lobby group Kamp Emerġenza Ambjent, resident Claire Bonello said the master plan raised questions over the future of the swimming zones.

Likening the future of areas like Exiles to the Msida yacht marina, Dr Bonello questioned whether the popular bays would be killed.

During the meeting, activists from Kamp Emerġenza Ambjent urged residents to join them in their stand against the master plan.

A KEA spokeswoman gave a brief overview of the document’s proposal for the gathered residents, describing the document as “problematic in a number of areas”.

During the presentation residents sighed at the thought of high-rise developments in their hometown. “Jesus Christ!” one resident exclaimed as the duration of construction required for the plan was discussed.

The renders provided in the master plan only featured “upper class, idle, happy people in their 30s, with nothing to do but go shopping during the day”. She questioned why the render was not representative of the actual population of the area and where residents would live.

The meeting also heard how the master plan be put on a par with local plans, meaning that once approved it would be binding.

“This is why we want to start a national campaign on this. And to affect change we need you, we need your help to stand up and express our reservations,” she said.

Residents’ complaints

Perhaps the most spirited comments came from a middle-aged woman, who asked why part of her home was going to be expropriated by the government to facilitate a tertiary road and private business interests.

“Is this why we have worked and struggled all our lives to own our homes? Only to have it taken away from us... and why, for some businessmen?” she said.

A draftsman who had lived in the area for several years asked why St George’s Bay, Swieqi, and St Julian’s were all being considered part of Paceville. “Is this a Paceville masterplan or will all localities around it suffer?” he asked.

Bays as far away as Exiles would be affected, one resident said.

Another elderly resident urged local councils to toe the same line for the good of all residents.
“You are not all on the same page. Please stand with residents on this,” he said.

During the meeting one foreign resident left after her calls for the meeting to be held in English were ignored. Another Italian expat and naturalised Maltese citizen also insisted all residents should unite despite language barriers. His calls, however, were met with murmurs of  “but we are in Malta, we speak in Maltese”.

Another resident questioned why there were so few people at the meeting – some 50 people attended.

“There are thousands of residents in these areas but not enough seem to care to come out here,” he said.

The government, another resident added, was taking out full page adverts to convince the public that the plan was a good one.

“We need to do more,” a young resident said.