PN MEP asks EC whether Central Link project reflects spirit of Fund being tapped
PN MEP Francis Zammit Dimech has asked the European Commission whether it feels that the Central Link Project reflects the spirit and priorities of the EU’s Cohesion Fund.
“The Central Link Project will be completed through the use of the Cohesion Fund project which investment priorities include preserving and protecting the environment, protecting and restoring soil and measures to improve environmentally-friendly (including low-noise) transport systems.
“Stakeholders who feel that they will be impacted by the project such as residents, farmers who work the land next to such roads and cyclists have raised various concerns on the project.
“This is because traffic and the resulting emissions will be brought closer to their homes, extensive stretches of agriculture terrain will be taken over by roads and the safety of cyclists has been questioned. Furthermore it seems that no social impact assessment and traffic impact assessment have been made. Moreover, stakeholders have claimed that they have not been consulted.
“Does the Commission feel that the way this project is being proposed reflects the spirit and priorities of the Cohesion Fund and the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) promoted by the Commission?” he asked.
Earlier yesterday, Attard residents who form part of the ‘Attard Residents Environmental Network’ called on the government to reconsider the decision to build a by-pass in Attard, saying the project will cause environmental damage.
The letter was signed by 432 signatories, who say that the construction of the Attard Bypass will destroy various arable land and will affect 47 farmers.
They suggested that other options should be considered, such as an underground tunnel rather than ruining more arable land and causing property devaluation.
They argue that a tunnel removes noise pollution, the issue of eating up virgin land and can be designed to interconnect with future tunnels.
Aside from sending a letter to the Prime Minister, they also sent a letter to the Maltese MEPs, EU Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu, and EU Commissioner for the Environment Karmenu Vella.