Crowdfunding Campaign To Fund Legal Challenge To DB Group Project Collects €18,000 In Just Over A Week
A crowdfunding campaign by residents and NGOs to fund a legal challenge to the massive hotel and commercial complex approved on the former ITS site in St George’s Bay has already collected close to €18,000.
The campaign was launched last Saturday, following the Planning Authority’s approval of the project, which will see the construction of two 18-storey towers alongside a third 12-storey tower.
The campaign is being spearheaded by ACT Malta, BirdLife Malta, Din l-Art Ħelwa, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Friends of the Earth Malta, Moviment Graffitti, Nature Trust Malta, Ramblers Association of Malta, Rota, Sustainable Built Environment Malta and the Archaeological Society of Malta.
Speaking to the Malta Independent, Andre Callus from Moviment Graffitti, said that the campaign had succeeded in collecting €14,000 in the first three days following its launch, with the figure currently standing at around €18,000.
Callus said that while proceedings were already underway in the form of an appeal against an Environmental Impact Assessment submitted before the project was approved, the group will now also be filing an appeal against the decision to grant the project a permit.
The project was originally approved in 2018, but the permit was eventually revoked after it was challenged in court by a coalition of residents and NGOs. Since then, the project has been scaled down, but this has done nothing to allay concerns about the increased strain on infrastructure in the area, not to mention the visual impact on residents of Pembroke.
The project was originally approved in 2018, but the permit was eventually revoked after it was challenged in court by a coalition of residents and NGOs.
“Everyone is against DB’s monstrosity – three Local Councils, many organisations and thousands of residents and objectors. We cannot let big business and public authorities run roughshod over the people’s will to protect its environment and quality of life. Everyone’s contribution – big or small – makes a huge difference!” the NGOs said of the latest crowdfunding campaign.
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