Pathetic Villa Rosa Local Plan Review fails to hide shameless Government attempt to line the pockets of Tal-Franċiż

Joint Press Statement 06.06.25 [MT version and pictures below]

9 organisations strongly condemn the proposed Villa Rosa Local Plan review which is nothing more than a blueprint for large-scale overdevelopment disguised as a planning exercise. Beneath the usual buzzwords, the plan serves a single purpose: to facilitate massive increases in building heights and volumes for the private gain of developer Tal-Franċiż.

Notable among its meaningless statements, the review claims it will “…ensure that any resultant shadows are moving and temporary,” with the PA pathetically resorting to a natural obviousness – since all shadows move – to justify the massive shadowing that will be caused by the Tal-Franċiż monstrosity.

The public has until 11 June to submit their feedback on this plan via email to villarosa.consultation@pa.org.mt.

Under the revised plan, buildings of up to 39 storeys will tower over St George’s Bay, alongside two additional towers of 22 storeys. The development footprint expands to an estimated 146,500 square metres — an outrageous intensification that would irreversibly alter the character of the area and severely impact nearby communities, public infrastructure, and natural heritage sites.

Under the current Local Plan, development on the site is limited to six to seven storeys.

The review offers no credible justification for such radical changes. There is no evidence of a tourism shortfall in Malta, nor any data to suggest that high-rise hotels will attract “high-quality tourism.” No impact assessments – environmental, social, or economic – have been presented. It fails to explain who requested these changes, what public benefit they serve, or who will bear the cost of the required infrastructure upgrades.

Unsurprisingly, these new parameters mirror the mammoth project proposed by Tal-Franċiż in application PA/07254/22. It is both alarming and deeply undemocratic that business interests, operating behind the scenes, are effectively dictating the laws and regulations of our country.

Moreover, the so-called “public consultation” process being carried out in connection with this review is nothing short of a farce. Despite overwhelming opposition to the proposed changes – including 3,047 objections submitted via our online platform – the PA has outrageously claimed that only 43 objections were received during the first consultation phase.

The revised Local Plan would directly threaten the Grade 1 scheduled Villa Rosa – ironically, the very site after which the Local Plan review is named – the Ħarq Ħammiem Cave (Level 1 protection), and surrounding Areas of Ecological Importance.

The Planning Authority’s claim that this project will enhance public space is risible. Any open areas introduced will be dwarfed and cast into shadow by towering structures, while increased traffic, congestion, and tourist volumes will overwhelm an already overburdened area – where drainage is already overflowing into the bay – engulfing the localities of Pembroke, St Julian’s, and Swieqi.

If approved, this plan will permanently disfigure one of Malta’s coastal landscapes, with devastating consequences for our cultural and environmental heritage and quality of life.

We call for the immediate withdrawal of this review and demand that Government prioritise people and the environment over the speculative profits of Tal-Franċiż.

Organisations

BirdLife Malta

Din l-Art Ħelwa

Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar

Friends of the Earth Malta

Għawdix

Moviment Graffitti

Nature Trust Malta

Ramblers Association of Malta

The Archaeological Society Malta

Stqarrija Konġunta għall-Istampa 06.06.25

Ir-reviżjoni patetika tal-Pjan Lokali ta’ Villa Rosa tonqos milli taħbi t-tentattiv bla mistħija tal-Gvern li jħaxxen il-bwiet ta’ Tal-Franċiż

9 għaqdiet jikkundannaw bil-qawwa r-reviżjoni proposta tal-Pjan Lokali ta’ Villa Rosa, li mhija xejn għajr pjan ta’ azzjoni għal żvilupp massiċċ fuq skala kbira li qed jiġi ppreżentat bħala eżerċizzju tal-ippjanar. Meta wieħed jgħarbel lil hinn mill-buzzwords tas-soltu, huwa evidenti li l-pjan iservi skop wieħed biss: li jiffaċilita żidiet massivi fl-għoli tal-bini u l-volumi għall-gwadann privat tal-iżviluppatur Tal-Franċiż.

Notevoli fost id-dikjarazzjonijiet bla sens tagħha, ir-reviżjoni ssostni li “…qed tiżgura li kwalunkwe dell li jirriżulta jkun miexi u temporanju,” — b’dan, il-PA qed tirrikorri b’mod patetiku għal dak li hu ovvju, jiġifieri li kull dell jimxi, biex tiġġustifika d-dellijiet massivi li se jkunu kkawżati mill-mostrożità ta’ Tal-Franċiż.

Il-pubbliku jista’ jibgħat il-kummenti tiegħu dwar dawn il-pjanijiet fuq villarosa.consultation@pa.org.mt sal-11 ta’ Ġunju.

Skont il-pjan rivedut, binjiet li jaslu sa 39 sular se jkunu qed jidfnu l-Bajja ta’ San Ġorġ, flimkien ma’ żewġ torrijiet addizzjonali ta’ 22 sular. L-impronta tal-iżvilupp se tikber għal madwar 146,500 metru kwadru — intensifikazzjoni estrema li se tibdel b’mod irriversibbli l-karattru taż-żona u tħalli impatt serju fuq il-komunitajiet fil-qrib, l-infrastruttura pubblika, u s-siti tal-wirt naturali.

Skont il-Pjan Lokali attwali, l-iżvilupp fuq is-sit huwa limitat għal sitta sa seba’ sulari.

Ir-reviżjoni ma toffri l-ebda ġustifikazzjoni kredibbli għal bidliet radikali bħal dawn. M’hemm l-ebda evidenza ta’ nuqqas ta’ turiżmu f’Malta u lanqas dejta li tissuġġerixxi li l-lukandi għoljin se jattiraw “turiżmu ta’ kwalità għolja.” Ma ġew ippreżentati l-ebda valutazzjonijiet tal-impatt ambjentali, soċjali jew ekonomiċi. Ir-reviżjoni tal-pjan lokali tonqos milli tispjega min talab dawn il-bidliet, x’benefiċċju pubbliku jservu, jew min se jkun qed iġorr l-ispiża tal-bidliet meħtieġa fl-infrastruttura.

Kif kien mistenni, dawn il-parametri l-ġodda jirriflettu l-proġett massiv propost minn Tal-Franċiż fl-applikazzjoni PA/07254/22. Huwa kemm allarmanti kif ukoll ta’ theddida għad-demokrazija li l-interessi tan-negozju, li joperaw wara x-xena, qed jiddettaw b’mod effettiv il-liġijiet u r-regolamenti ta’ pajjiżna.

Barra minn hekk, l-hekk imsejjaħ proċess ta’ “konsultazzjoni pubblika” li qed jitwettaq b’rabta ma’ din ir-reviżjoni mhuwa xejn inqas minn farsa. Minkejja l-oppożizzjoni kbira għall-bidliet proposti – inklużi 3,047 oġġezzjoni sottomessi permezz tal-pjattaforma online tagħna – il-PA bla mistħija ta’ xejn sostniet li 43 oġġezzjoni biss ġew riċevuti matul l-ewwel fażi ta’ konsultazzjoni.

Il-Pjan Lokali rivedut jhedded direttament lil Villa Rosa, li hija skedata Grad 1 — u li b’mod ironiku, huwa s-sit li għalih hija msemmija r-reviżjoni tal-Pjan Lokali — l-Għar ta’ Ħarq Ħammiem (protezzjoni ta’ Livell 1), u ż-Żoni tal-madwar ta’ Importanza Ekoloġika.

L-affermazzjoni tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar li dan il-proġett se jtejjeb l-ispazju pubbliku hija ridikola. Kwalunkwe żona miftuħa introdotta se tiġi midfuna u mitfugħa f’dell minn għadd ta’ torrijiet massiċċi, filwaqt li ż-żieda fit-traffiku, il-konġestjoni u l-volumi ta’ turisti se jkomplu jgħarrqu żona li diġà ma tiflaħx għal iktar — fejn id-drenaġġ diġà qed ifur fil-bajja. Il-lokalitajiet ta’ Pembroke, San Ġiljan u s-Swieqi se jbatu konsegwenzi koroh ħafna.

Jekk jiġi approvat, dan il-pjan se jeqred b’mod permanenti wieħed mill-pajsaġġi kostali ta’ Malta, b’konsegwenzi devastanti għall-wirt kulturali u ambjentali u l-kwalità tal-ħajja tagħna.

Nappellaw għall-irtirar immedjat ta’ din ir-reviżjoni u nitolbu li l-Gvern jagħti prijorità lin-nies u lill-ambjent minflok lill-profitti spekulattivi ta’ Tal-Franċiż.

Għaqdiet