Front Ħarsien ODZ said it is objecting to the development of an ODZ old people's home in Birgu overlooking the scheduled Tal-Hawli valley, while calling on the authorities to conduct a national study to assess the social need for new old people's homes and to identify clearly brownfield sites,  within the development zone which can be  used for this purpose.

In a statement, Front Ħarsien ODZ said it is also calling on the government to incorporate the Tal-Hawli valley and its buffer zone, which is an important green lung for Cottonera in the public domain.

The application proposed by St Paul Residential Homes Limited is  being proposed on an ODZ area overlooking the scheduled parts of the Tal-Hawli valley in the vicinity of the Vittoriosa primary school.

The Front is calling on the Birgu council to oppose the development and to be pro-active in proposing other sites which can be used as old people's home in the Cottonera area.

Front Ħarsien ODZ also notes that other ODZ homes have been proposed in Naxxar and Santa Lucija and that in these cases developers have been asked to consider alternative sites to conform with the SPED which only allows the development of residential homes in the ODZ if no feasible alternatives exist within the development zone.

"The current system through which private developers are asked to conduct site selection studies after applying on a particular site, only to come back saying that these sites are not feasible is ridiculous. It would be preferable if the government takes the initiative and carries out a national study to identify already existing buildings within the development zone where such development can be made and only  following studies assessing the real need for old people's homes, preferably located within local communities where old people can still form part of these communities."