Mellieħa Residents Take To Construction Site In Peaceful Protest
Mellieħa residents staged a peaceful protest on the construction site of the controversial Mellieħa Heights development.
“Are we worth less than €380,000 in yearly ground rent?,” signs held up by residents read.
The demonstration drew a sizable crowd of residents and was led by Mayor Gabriel Micallef, Deputy Mayor Matthew Borg Cuschieri, and resident Olivia Gauci.
Residents of the locality have been very vocal in their objection to this development, even requesting an investigation by the National Audit Office (NAO) on the transfer of this public land for a paltry €380,000 in yearly ground rent, which effectively allows Attard to sell 109 apartments built on public land whilst transferring the ground rent onto the prospective buyers.
The development permit issued to Paul Attard, Secretary General of the Malta Developers Association, was fast-tracked and issued within a record two-month period.
Activist group Il-Kollettiv has also been highly critical of this development, even sending an open letter to Prime Minister Robert Abela urging his intervention in the ongoing saga. The letter, signed by residents, referenced recent public statements in which he opposed the sale of public land for private development.
During the demonstration, Gauci questioned why Abela made his objection to the sale of public land for private development clear twice, yet both times fell short of saying that the Mellieha land will be taken back by the government.
Meanwhile, Micallef reiterated his and the Local Council’s commitment in ensuring this development does not go ahead.
“We are still in time to save this area and to turn it into a public open space. We will not stop here,” the Mayor said.
His sentiment was echoed by Borg Cuschieri, who questioned the principle behind the sale of the land for such a small sum.
“What is leftist, socialist or Labourite about this deal?”
Residents were emboldened with placards saying saying “are we worth less than €380,000 in yearly ground rent?” and “Prime Minister, why are you avoiding us?”
The event, organised by Residenti tal-Mellieha and Il-Kollettiv, was also attended by local councillors, members of political party Momentum and Nationalist MPs from the district.
In a statement, il-Kollettiv stated that developer Paul Attard is doing his utmost to commit the site before the results of the NAO inquiry on the land transfer are published.
“The Prime Minister is ignoring the residents’ calls for a meeting, and while stating his stance against public land developed by private interests, authorities such as the PA and its board members are working hard to deliver the exact opposite. This is hardly the attitude of a PM who claims to be socialist, and who works for the people.”
“Whenever the loss of quality of life caused by the construction industry in all towns in Malta is highlighted, he can only turn his back onto those who elected him.” The group said it remains committed to working with the residents of Mellieha and their Local Council, “an example of how genuine and meaningful collective action, free of partisan interests, should work for the good of our quality of life,” the organisation concluded.
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