Partit Demokratiku said it will be filing objections with the Planning Authority against the two hotels planned for Saqqajja hill and square. The news of an application for a boutique hotel development on both the iconic Saqqajja and what is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful avenues in Rabat, St Augustine’s Avenue, has brought to the fore the fact that Rabat seems to be the next target for speculators to ravage. This follows a similarly questionable application for a 110 room, five-storey hotel on Saqqajja hill, the party said in a statement.
Partit Demokratiku will be objecting to both developments, and has long argued in defence of Rabat residents against development abuses.
Deputy Leader Timothy Alden: "Partit Demokratiku welcomes the fact that individuals and citizens from across the whole political divide have raised their voices in protest against this latest development. For it to be stopped, Partit Demokratiku calls for solidarity and perserverance, and the setting aside of partisan divides in defence of our heritage and environment. The ITS case showcases that the Planning Authority is often blind to public sentiment and opinion, and favours interpreting the rules only according to loopholes."
Rabat is under threat from recent applications that are turning the village core into a slew of restaurants and entertainment venues with utter disregard to the physical and social milieu of the village, PD said.
On the other side a proposed 1200 vehicle car park , belvedere and road widening project eating away into the picturesque Valley in Gheriexem threatens the physical beauty of Wied Gnien Hira just a stone’s throw away from the Domus Romana.
Partit Demokratiku reiterates its August 2017 call in Parliament, via a Private Members' Motion, to create a National Masterplan. A National Masterplan would be accompanied by all the relevant studies and expertise to grow our economy without sacrificing the quality of life of our citizens or the sustainability and long-term health of our economy. Partit Demokratiku will keep fighting against injustice in favour of the people of Malta, offering solutions to the problems that the other parties ignore. We have to fix the broken system, PD said.