FAA decries Townsquare ‘developers’ disregard for fair hearing’

FAA, one of the NGOs appealing the high-rise case, has decried the “insensitivity and haste of the Townsquare developers.”

It said that, by announcing that excavations are to begin forthwith before the outcome of the appeal is decided by the competent authority, the developers “are hoping to present the controversial development a fait accompli, thereby ignoring the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal.

“The developers know full well that there are strict time limits for the appeal to be decided, that is, within one year of the first hearing which would in this case transpire to no later than November 2017. Rushing to hack away at the earth and begin excavation works is entirely disrespectful of the planning and appeals process, and is in breach of the residents’ constitutional right to a fair hearing.

“Moreover, the Townsquare developers are constantly changing the goalposts when describing the amount of open space envisaged in the Townsquare development. In an interview on the 28th August 2016, Townsquare Sliema Ltd director Andrew Ganado claimed that they would create an open space in the heart of Sliema nearly equivalent in size to the Independence Garden in the same locality.

“In the most recent information released by the developers the open space accessible to the public has now shrunk to less than a third of that.

Misleading and contradictory statements of the type show the contempt in which the public is held,” FAA said, adding that it will “continue to contest this behaviour in every fora possible until the law is adhered to and residents are not treated with contemptuous disregard.”