Friends of the Earth Malta said it has submitted its objections to the Planning Authority (PA) with regards to the Pembroke open space being earmarked for a private school.

FoE Malta believes that this project will take away nature and a wide open space away from the residents and everyone else who visits the area. We all need nature in our lives. Experiencing vibrant nature is also crucial for everybody’s health and well-being, the NGO said in a statement.

Regular time spent in nature is good for children’s development, and for fitness and our mental health. Building a school on this site will rob these benefits from the many to the profit of the few. As a necessary component of a good life, we believe that experiencing nature should be considered a fundamental right for everyone, regardless of our backgrounds. On top of that, this new construction will lead to significant increase in traffic thus increasing air and noise pollution and will also affect the safety of the neighbourhood.

The proposed construction site currently also acts as a buffer zone for the adjacent Natura 2000 site. The garrigue in this buffer zone should be protected at all costs and we believe that if anything, this parcel of land should also be included within the Natura 2000 boundary.

For the interest of the community in Pembroke and that of the wider public, FoE Malta urges the PA Board to refuse this application. Friends of the Earth will also be nominating this site for public domain status during the next round of consultations. Find out more at www.foemalta.org/pd