Moviment Graffitti is urging the Planning Authority to refuse a massive development proposal that seeks to transform a large area of land in Ta’ Qali into multiple commercial facilities. Application PA/676/22 will be heard by the Planning Board this Thursday, 5th June at 10am, and is being recommended for refusal by the PA’s case officer report.
While the Ta’ Qali Action Plan allows for the possibility of sports-related facilities in this area, the proposed development is completely disproportionate in size and includes numerous built structures intended for various types of commercial activity, such as a four-storey hotel, shops, and restaurants. Moreover, even the proposed private sports facilities are excessive, encompassing a full-size rugby pitch, a half-size scrum training pitch, two full-size football pitches, a sprint track, six tennis courts, twelve padel tennis courts, and an indoor sports complex.
It is clear that such intensive development — and the activity it will generate — on what is currently an open space in the ODZ will have a highly negative impact on the visual landscape, and lead to a degradation in the quality of life in the surrounding localities, as well as damage the protected natural areas next to it.
In a country like Malta, where land is among the most scarce and precious resources, and with overdevelopment being one of the major issues facing our nation, projects that consume this amount of green and open space should not even be considered.
Moviment Graffitti strongly urges the Planning Authority to safeguard our quality of life and natural environment by categorically refusing this application on Thursday.
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Il-Moviment Graffitti jappella għar-rifjut ta’ żvilupp kummerċjali massiċċ f’ODZ Ta’ Qali
Il-Moviment Graffitti qed jappella lill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar biex tirrifjuta proposta ta’ żvilupp massiċċ li qed tipproponi li tittrasforma żona kbira ta’ art f’Ta’ Qali f’numru ta’ faċilitajiet kummerċjali. L-applikazzjoni PA/676/22 se tinstema’ mill-Bord tal-Ippjanar nhar il-Ħamis, 5 ta’ Ġunju fl-10 ta’ filgħodu, u qed tiġi rrakkomandata għar-rifjut mir-rapport tal-uffiċjal tal-każ tal-PA.
Għalkemm il-Pjan ta’ Azzjoni ta’ Ta’ Qali jippermetti l-possibbiltà ta’ faċilitajiet relatati mal-isport f’din iż-żona, l-iżvilupp propost huwa kompletament sproporzjonat fid-daqs u jinkludi bosta strutturi mibnija maħsuba għal diversi tipi ta’ attività kummerċjali, bħal lukanda ta’ erba’ sulari, ħwienet, u ristoranti. Barra minn hekk, anke l-faċilitajiet sportivi privati proposti huma eċċessivi, u jinkludu pitch sħiħ tar-rugby, u pitch iżgħar għat-taħriġ tar-rugby, żewġ grawnds sħaħ tal-futbol, trek għall-isprint, sitt courts tat-tennis, tnax-il court tal-padel tennis, u kumpless sportiv fuq ġewwa.
Huwa ċar li żvilupp daqshekk intensiv — u l-attività li se joħloq — fuq dak li bħalissa huwa spazju miftuħ f’ODZ se jkollu impatt negattiv ħafna fuq il-pajsaġġ viżiv, u se jwassal għal tnaqqis fil-kwalità tal-ħajja fil-lokalitajiet ta’ madwaru, kif ukoll jagħmel ħsara lill-oqsma naturali protetti ta’ ħdejh.
F’pajjiż bħal Malta, fejn l-art hija fost l-iktar riżorsi skarsi u prezzjużi, u fejn l-iżvilupp żejjed huwa wieħed mill-akbar problemi li qed jaffaċċja pajjiżna, proġetti li jikkunsmaw daqshekk spazju aħdar u miftuħ m’għandhom lanqas biss jiġu kkunsidrati.
Il-Moviment Graffitti jappella bis-saħħa lill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar biex tissalvagwardja l-kwalità tal-ħajja tagħna u l-ambjent naturali billi tirrifjuta kategorikament din l-applikazzjoni nhar il-Ħamis li ġej.
