The council is therefore appealing the decision in front of the Administrative review tribunal, following several promises made by Gżira mayor Conrad Borg Manche that he will fight against the development tooth and nail.

The appeal, which was signed by environmental lawyer Claire Bonello, asks the tribunal to completely annul the revocation.

Within the appeal, the local council detailed how it has duly paid rent and maintained the garden since taking over its management back in 2000, stressing that it is one of the few open green spaces within the already busy locality.

The council also lamented the fact that it was not granted the opportunity to give its feedback on the future of the land, and it was also not given the right of first refusal. It also argued that the Lands Authority had not given an adequate reason on why this lease should be terminated.

The Lands Authority is shirking its responsibility to administer public property in the best interest of the public, the Council’s application stated.

“When you consider that the Authority is denying the council from renting and administering a public garden for mysterious reasons, it is going against its obligations to administer public property in the best possible way and this is denying the public from enjoying the garden for inappropriate reasons,” the motion says.

It also described the Lands Authority’s decision to grant the land on an “irrelevant and inappropriate” basis.

The petrol station, which is currently located by the entrance of Manoel Island, is set to be relocated to the Council of Europe gardens just 100 metres away as part of a road-widening project that will see Regional Road connected to the Gżira front.

What do you make of the local council’s decision?