Three Local Councils, nine organisations and several Pembroke residents have filed an appeal with the Planning Tribunal (EPRT) against the Planning Board’s decision to give the go-ahead to the DB Group’s project on the ex-ITS site. The appeal was made possible thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign during which a total of €20,000 were collected from hundreds of donors.

The appellants are requesting the annulment of the PA decision allowing the db Group to build two 18- and 17-storey towers and a 12-storey hotel, on public land in Pembroke, in a residential area and with disastrous impacts on important historical sites and areas of great natural sensitivity. In their appeal, the Local Councils, organisations and residents outline several grounds for the revocation of the permit, including the project’s non-conformity with many planning policies, the defective and incomplete studies submitted by the developer and a manipulated process leading to an unfair Planning Board meeting and decision.

Legal actions undertaken following the 2018 decision had ultimately led to the cancellation of the 2018 permit. The strong public response to the recent crowdfunding campaign will once again enable the appellants to take the full range of possible legal actions aimed at the revocation of the DB permit. Another appeal challenging the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) decision to approve the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the db project is already underway.

We take this opportunity to thank the public for the strong support shown in this battle against greed that has been waged for over four years. We commit ourselves to making every possible effort to stop big business and public authorities from running roughshod over the people’s will to protect its environment and quality of life.

The appeal was filed by:
– Pembroke Local Council
– St. Julian’s Local Council
– Swieqi Local Council
– ACT Malta
– Din l-Art Ħelwa
– Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar
– Friends of the Earth Malta
– Moviment Graffitti
– Nature Trust Malta
– Rota
– Sustainable Built Environment Malta
– The Archaeological Society Malta
– Ten Pembroke and Swieqi residents

with the support of: BirdLife Malta and Ramblers Association of Malta

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Tressaq appell kontra l-mostrożità tad-DB grazzi għall-kampanja ta’ ġbir ta’ fondi mingħand il-pubbliku

Tliet Kunsilli Lokali, disa’ organizzazzjonijiet u diversi residenti ta’ Pembroke appellaw mat-Tribunal tal-Ippjanar (EPRT) id-deċiżjoni tal-Bord tal-Ippjanar biex il-proġett tad-DB Group ikun jista’ jsir fuq is-sit fejn qabel kien hemm l-ITS. L-appell seta’ jsir grazzi għas-suċċess ta’ sejħa pubblika għal fondi fejn inġabret is-somma ta’ €20,000 mingħand mijiet ta’ donaturi.

L-appellanti qegħdin jitolbu li titħassar id-deċiżjoni tal-PA li tippermetti lid-DB Group jibni żewġ torriijiet ta’ 18- u 17-il sular u lukanda ta’ 12-il sular, fuq art pubblika f’Pembroke, f’żona residenzjali u li se jkollha impatti diżastrużi fuq siti storiċi importanti u postijiet ta’ sensittività naturali kbira. Fl-appell tagħhom, il-Kunsilli Lokali, l-organizzazzjonijiet u r-residenti jelenkaw diversi raġunijiet għat-talba tagħhom biex jiġi revokat il-permess, fosthom in-nuqqas ta’ konformità tal-proġett ma’ ħafna policies tal-ippjanar, l-istudji difettużi u mhux kompluti li ssottometta l-iżviluppatur u l-proċess mimli irregolaritajiet li wassal għal laqgħa u deċiżjoni inġusta tal-Bord tal-Ippjanar.

L-azzjonijiet legali li ttieħdu wara d-deċiżjoni tal-2018 kienu wasslu biex jiġi mħassar il-permess li ħareġ fl-istess sena. Permezz tar-rispons b’saħħtu tal-pubbliku għall-kampanja riċenti għall-ġbir ta’ fondi, l-appellanti għal darb’oħra se jkunu jistgħu jieħdu kull azzjoni legali possibbli li tista’ twassal għar-revokazzjoni tal-permess tad-DB. Appell ieħor kontra d-deċiżjoni tal-Awtorità tal-Ambjent u r-Riżorsi (ERA) li approvat l-Assessjar tal-Impatt Ambjentali (EIA) tal-proġett, diġà ġie mressaq fix-xhur li għaddew.

Nixtiequ nieħdu l-opportunità biex nirringrazzjaw lill-pubbliku tal-appoġġ qawwi li wera f’din il-ġlieda kontra r-regħba li ilna niġġieldu għal aktar minn erba’ snin. Aħna nimpenjaw ruħna li nagħmlu kull sforz possibbli biex inwaqqfu lill-imprendituri kbar u lill-awtoritajiet pubbliċi milli jkomplu jgħaddu qishom gaffa minn fuq ir-rieda tal-poplu li jipproteġi l-ambjent u l-kwalità tal-ħajtu.

L-appell sar minn dawn li ġejjin:
– Il-Kunsill Lokali ta’ Pembroke
– Il-Kunsill Lokali ta’ San Ġiljan
– Il-Kunsill Lokali tas-Swieqi
– ACT Malta
– Din l-Art Ħelwa
– Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar
– Friends of the Earth Malta
– Moviment Graffitti
– Nature Trust Malta
– Rota
– Sustainable Built Environment Malta
– The Archaeological Society Malta
– Għaxar residenti ta’ Pembroke u s-Swieqi

bl-appoġġ ta’: BirdLife Malta u Ramblers Association of Malta