Pembroke residents have turned to President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca in a last ditch effort to stop the proposed db Group project on the former ITS site.

The project, which will include a 37-storey tower and a 19-storey hotel, would be only a few metres away from the homes of about 260 families living in social housing units.

"Such monstrous development will not only cover the sun almost permanently for the residents living in these apartments, but it will also inflict permanent damage on their physical and mental health, especially on that of children, during the construction phase of the project that will take years to complete and that will generate incessant air and noise pollution.

"The developer wants to install a concrete-making plant (batching-plant) next to the residents' homes, something that is extremely hazardous to the people's health, especially to the respiratory system," activist group Moviment Graffitti said following the meeting.

Residents also held three separate meetings with all MPs elected from the 9th and 10th districts to air their concerns.

The Institute of Tourism Studies recently moved to the former Air Malta headquarters at the Aviation Park, Luqa, vacating the site for the controversial mega development in St George's Bay.

Read: ITS moves to Luqa, making way for controversial db Group project

The institute said its relocated campus can cater up to 1,000 students, compared to the 750 students which the previous campuses in St Julian's and Pembroke could cater for.