ADPD chairperson Sandra Gauci on Saturday called for developments that disfigure and destroy the characteristics of our towns and cities to be curbed and that any development proposal must respect both the residents and the historical environment.
Speaking in Birkirkara, Gauci referred to the application (PA7311/22) for a development in Birkirkara which will be incongruous with the surrounding buildings because it will be higher than the other buildings. When a development of this type takes place,respect not only of the laws but of the surrounding architecture and that what is intended to be projected does not stand out like a sore thumb.
Gauci emphasized that we want to keep the characteristics of our villages and not sell them to the highest bidder in an effort to become rich overnight. This is why we share Din l-Art Ħelwa as well as the Superintendent of Cultural Heritage’s concerns and objections regarding this development. There is a need for an extensive review of what is projected and that the concern about how the proposed building will uglify the area is given the attention it deserves.
Gauci called developments that disfigure and destroy the characteristics of our towns and cities to be curbed. Various attempts are being made around Malta and Gozo where due to the greed of developers and the lack of backbone of the Planning Authority, permits have been issued that are completely changing the face of our towns and villages: clear examples are what has been proposed in Ta’ Xbiex, the proposal for the building in Santa Luċija in Triq Katerina Vitale and the scandal of the block of apartments proposed close to Ġgantija.
"We are losing the soul and the characteristics of the Maltese villages to fill the pockets of some and we are even ready to ignore our history and be ridiculed by all and sundry when accepting that building another block of buildings 200 metres away from the Ġgantija temples is a good idea! The Planning Authority is forgetting planning and has only become an authority that issues permits and this in an irresponsible way.
"We hope that in this case the necessary changes will be made so that the impact on the locality's aesthetics will be minimal and the characteristics that make Birkirkara unique will be maintained," concluded Gauci.