PD to present parliamentary motion calling on government to curtail ‘large scale project frenzy’

● ‘While the rich get richer, the man in the street is robbed of his health and quality of life’

The Partit Demokratiku is to present a private member’s motion in Parliament, urging the government to curtail the “large-scale project frenzy” for a limited time until a proper well-studied National Masterplan has been drafted.

Such a plan, the PD said, can guide planners and developers on how, when, where and what kind of developments are more suited to our country’s needs and ambitions for a sustainable, environment friendly economy, now and in the foreseeable future.

PD said yesterday: “While other Mediterranean countries, like France are seeking UNESCO world heritage status for their exquisite and historical skylines, and other Mediterranean islands are seeking to upgrade their infrastructure and allow selective development to protect their character, Malta and Gozo are being progressively consumed by a runaway building spree, resulting in a haphazard skyward as well as a horizontal concrete sprawl.

“Citizens residing in the most targeted areas, which include Gzira, St Julian’s, Paceville, Sliema and Pembroke have been forced to put up with massive inconvenience due to fragmented, incomplete planning and enforcement. One dreads to even imagine how the situation will deteriorate when multiple large-scale projects are being carried out simultaneously without holistic planning and consideration for the impact of these massive edifices on each other, and on the existing meagre infrastructure.

“The impact on the lives of residents – young and old – in the respective areas must be maximally mitigated. It is grossly unjust that while the rich get richer, the man in the street is robbed of his health and quality of life, not to men- tion the systematic divestment of our citizens of their public land, sunlight and airspace.”

Partit Demokratiku reiterated its stand in favour of sustainable development that respects and protects our heritage as well as the quality of life of our present and future citizens. It said it will also ask Parliament to declare itself on the drafting of a National Masterplan.