The court decision against DB’s City Centre Project does not preclude them from applying to excavate the area, the group have said in a statement attempting to clarify some “falsehoods” about the judgement.

“A falsehood being peddled is that the court decision somehow prevents us from applying for a permit to excavate. This is yet another lie.”

“Obviously, our new application to excavate was filed in tandem and as part of the reactivation and updating of the original project application. It is not a ‘stand-alone’,” the group said in a statement.

“Of equal importance, the extent of the proposed excavation will not change, and it has already been the subject to a specific EIA and a traffic impact assessment in PA 3807/17,” they continued.

The group maintained that any claims that excavating underneath the building will somehow destroy or endanger were “another falsehood.”

“With this logic, no spaces such as car parks could have ever been created under buildings anywhere in the world. There are numerous examples in historic cities around the world where excavation was carried out under important historic buildings using the right techniques,” they said.

The controversial City Centre project in Pembroke has been put on hold after a court of appeal sent their application back to the drawing board over issues concerning a Planning Authority board member’s conflict of interest.

The group also wished to clarify that the application does not need to go through the whole planning process once again. In fact, the same application is being reactivated with the PA number remaining the same.

DB also revealed that it would be making some changes to the application, with the former ITS building being retained and integrated into the development, an increase in public spaces, and an overall downsizing on the cards.

It remains to be seen how exactly these plans will materialise.

The previous plans included a 37-storey tower, a 17-storey hotel and a shopping complex at the St George’s Bay site.

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