I refer to the article Talking Point by Desmond Zammit Marmarà (‘A perversion of democracy’, September 25).

He has certainly hit the nail on its head because the (db Group) project has been met by the biggest opposition all round. Hats off to the correspondent, a Balzan Labour councillor, who spoke openly on the subject.

For some time, I was a member of the St Julian’s local council’s environment committee. I fully agree with Zammit Marmarà that local councils should be given more say.

The subject in question has raised the alarm. Three local councils – Pembroke (that was mostly hit), Swieqi and St Julian’s – were completely ignored.

May I make it clear I am not against development but now it seems we are going over the line. In fact, I wish to refer to the many projects in the pipeline for Swieqi valley and mention especially the one that is of interest to us residents of Balluta, as it will affect Balluta Valley. Some years back, the same project, on a smaller scale, was discussed and rejected by the Planning Authority on grounds that the area in question is scheduled as Grade 1 and 2 and so the valley was preserved. This scheduling still stands. The project, if it is still on the cards, was explained in detail in another newspaper in the first week of September.

Let’s hope that when the Planning Authority discusses these projects and a vote is then taken, the members will not again ignore all those who send in their objections

I conclude by repeating Zammit Marmarà’s question: “How can we rediscover Labour’s 1996 battle cry: Iċ-ċittadin l-ewwel (The citizen first)”?