Today’s decision of the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal is a significant win in the fight against the monstrous db Group project on the ITS site. Whilst we express our disappointment with the Tribunal’s decision to uphold the permit given by the Planning Authority (PA), we positively note that this permit will, for now, remain suspended, meaning that works cannot start.

In order for the permit to become executable, the db Group will have to considerably change their plans and submit them to the Tribunal. The Tribunal ordered a reduction of approximately three floors in the building-heights of both the tower and the hotel, as well as the provision of more public open spaces. In practice, this means that the project will have to be downscaled in order to give way for more public open spaces.

According to the Tribunal’s decision, there also has to be confirmation by Transport Malta assuring that the project, when completed, is feasible with the existing road-network. The project was approved on the basis of a currently nonexistent tunnel, that is not even part of the project itself. Transport Malta officials had stated, during the case proceedings, that traffic generated by the project would lead to multiple junction failures with the existing road network.

We remain against this project in its entirety, and Local Councils, NGOs and residents will undertake further legal action aimed at annulling the PA’s decision to grant this permit. In the coming days, several residents, NGOs and three Local Councils will start an alternative action in Court.

We would like to thank all those who are supporting these initiatives, without whom all this wouldn’t have been possible.

Id-deċiżjoni tal-lum tat-Tribunal tar-Reviżjoni tal-Ambjent u l-Ippjanar (EPRT) hija rebħa sinifikattiva fil-ġlieda kontra l-proġett mostruż tad-db Group fis-sit tal-ITS. Filwaqt li nesprimu d-diżappunt tagħna għad-deċiżjoni tat-Tribunal li jiġi kkonfermat il-permess mogħti mill-PA, ninnutaw b’mod pożittiv li l-permess se jkun, għalissa, sospiż u li x-xogħol ma jistax jibda.

Sabiex il-permess ikun eżegwilbbli, id-db Group iridu jbiddlu l-pjanijiet tagħhom konsiderevolment u jissottomettuhom għand it-Tribunal. It-Tribunal ordna tnaqqis ta’ madwar tliet sulari fil-għoli tat-torri  u tal-lukanda, kif ukoll iktar spazji miftuħa għall-pubbliku. Fil-prattika, dan ifisser li l-proġett irid jiċkien sabiex jidħol fid-diżinn tiegħu iktar spazju miftuħ għall-pubbliku.

It-Tribunal iddeċieda wkoll li jrid ikun hemm konferma minn Transport Malta li tassigura illi dan il-proġett, meta jitlesta, ikun possibli bit-toroq eżistenti. Dan il-proġett kien ġie approvat fuq il-bażi ta’ mina li preżentament ma teżistix, li anqas biss hija parti mill-proġett innifsu. Tul il-każ, uffiċjali ta’ Transport Malta qalu li numru ta’ konnessjonijet fit-toroq eżistenti ma jkunux jifilħu għal dan il-progett minħabba t-traffiku li se jiġġenera.

Aħna nibqgħu kontra dan il-proġett fit-totalità tiegħu, u Kunsilli Lokali, NGOs u residenti se jkomplu jieħdu azzjonijiet legali bil-għan li jiġi annullat il-permess mogħti mill-PA. Fil-jiem li ġejjin se nibdew azzjoni legali oħra fil-Qorti.

Nixtiequ nirringrazzjaw lil dawk kollha li qegħdin jappoġġjaw dawn l-inizjattivi għaliex mingħajrhom dan kollu ma kienx ikun possibli.

Il-kampanja kontra l-proġett tad-db Group fis-sit tal-ITS hija appoġġjata minn: