‘We Need To Change Malta’: Labour CEO Strongly Opposes Supermarket Application On ODZ
Labour CEO Randolph De Battista sternly opposed the planning application to build a supermarket on 7,000 square-metres of ODZ land.
“If you respect society and the people around you, you don’t even think of taking up ODZ land to build a room, let alone a supermarket. Full stop,” De Battista wrote on social media after congratulating the locality’s mayor for opposing the project.
“I insist that we need to change Malta. We must foster a society of respect.”
This comes after proposed plans to construct a supermarket, underground parking lot, and other stores were revealed by the Times of Malta.
This incurred major backlash from St Michael’s Foundation – a school neighbouring the site – the San Ġwann mayor, the Prime Minister who pledged his support to Fenech’s cause, as well as a former student of St Michael’s and current Swieqi local council candidate Jordan Galea Pace.
The plans propose to build a supermarket on Triq tal-Balal and Triq tal-Prepostu, around 250 metres away from another supermarket. Meanwhile, the Planning Authority is also processing an application for a different supermarket and a DIY store across the road.
The application lists JG Periti as the architectural firm and Meleney Gauci as the developer. Yet, according to the public application form, Jason Pace is the sole owner of the site.
Besides already being an outside development zone, the site in question abuts Wied Għomor and Wied il-Kbir, both protected Areas of Ecological Importance and a Site of Scientific Importance.
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