A stunning 610 Xgħajra residents and property owners have signed a letter to the Planning Authority declaring their unequivocal opposition to the proposed three high-rise towers on the Xgħajra seafront. The letter was supported by a further 204 individuals.

Residents were compelled to send this letter after the Xgħajra Local Council, led by Mayor Mr Neil Attard, performed an incomprehensible U-turn behind the residents’ back and withdrew the Council’s previous objection to the project via a letter secretly submitted to the Planning Authority. Whilst a majority of Council members had backed this bizarre decision, two Council members, including the Vice-Mayor, have now signed the letter of objection prepared and submitted by Xgħajra residents.

The residents’ submission lists the numerous concerns related to this project’s impact on Xgħajra and beyond. A development consisting of three towers of 15 storeys each most clearly jars with the context of this quiet, sea-side village. This development would also see the building of hundreds of new residential apartments, leading to an overnight unsustainable increase in the population of the locality as well as pressures that the current infrastructure cannot handle. Developers’ promises of a “plaza” next to the towers are meaningless for a locality that already enjoys ample open spaces and spaces of natural beauty. Moreover, the justification of this project in terms of the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) policy is highly dubious since the proposed high-rise seems to breach multiple provisions of the FAR policy.

The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) and the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage (SCH) have already expressed their unfavourable view of this development.

The residents concluded their letter by appealing to the authorities and the developers to ensure that any development in the area respects the people of Xgħajra and its natural and built environment. Moviment Graffitti and Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar are supporting the residents’ demands.

Numru sorprendenti ta’ 610 resident jew sid tà proprjetà fix-Xgħajra ffirmaw ittra indirizzata lill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar fejn iddikjaraw l-oppożizzjoni bla riżervi tagħhom kontra tliet torrijiet high-rise max-xatt tax-Xgħajra. L-ittra għandha wkoll l-appoġġ ta’ 204 individwi oħrajn.

Ir-residenti ħassew li għandhom jibagħtu din l-ittra wara li l-Kunsill Lokali tax-Xgħajra, immexxi mis-Sindku s-Sur Neil Attard, għamel U-turn inkomprensibbli minn wara dahar ir-residenti u rtira l-oġġezzjoni li kien ippreżenta qabel, permezz ta’ ittra sigrieta lill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar. Filwaqt li l-maġġoranza tal-membri tal-Kunsill qablu ma’ din id-deċiżjoni stramba, żewġ kunsilliera, inkluż il-Viċi Sindku, issa iffirmaw l-ittra ta’ oġġezzjoni li kitbu u preżentaw ir-residenti tax-Xgħajra.

Is-sottomissjoni tar-residenti telenka l-ħafna punti ta’ tħassib marbutin mal-impatt ta’ dan il-proġett fuq ix-Xgħajra u lil hinn minnha. Żvilupp li jikkonsisti fi tliet torrijiet ta’ 15-il sular il-wieħed bla dubju jistona bil-kbir mal-kuntest ta’ dan il-villaġġ kwiet fejn il-baħar. Dan l-iżvilupp se jinvolvi l-bini ta’ mijiet ta’ appartamenti residenzjali ġodda, li f’ħakka t’għajn se jwassal għal żieda xejn sostenibbli fil-popolazzjoni tal-lokalità kif ukoll pressjoni miżjuda li l-infrastruttura eżistenti ma tiflaħx għaliha. Il-wegħdiet tal-iżviluppaturi ta’ “plaza” biswit it-torrijiet hija bla sens f’lokalità li bħalissa ġa qegħda tgawdi diversi spazji miftuħa ta’ ġmiel naturali. Barra minn hekk, il-ġustifikazzjoni ta’ dan il-proġett fuq bażi tal-politika tal-Floor Area Ratio (FAR) hija dubjuża ferm meta tqis li l-iżvilupp propost jidher li qed jikser diversi klawsoli tal-politika FAR.

L-Awtorità għall-Ambjent u r-Riżorsi (ERA) kif ukoll is-Sovrintendenza tal-Wirt Kulturali diġà esprimew in-nuqqas ta’ qbil tagħhom ma’ dan l-iżvilupp.

Ir-residenti temmew l-ittra tagħhom billi appellaw lill-awtoritajiet u lill-iżviluppaturi biex jiżguraw li kwalunkwe żvilupp f’din il-lokalità jkun jirrispetta lin-nies tax-Xgħajra u l-ambjent naturali u urban tagħha. Il-Moviment Graffitti u Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar qed jappoġġjaw it-talbiet tar-residenti.