A group of residents residing in St Anne Square in Sliema (near the former Majestic Theatre) are protesting over a development that will take place literally a few feet away from their homes.

The residents, Bauer Winter, Michael Micallef Trigona, Chris Vassallo and Philip Forace will today present a letter to President Edward Fenech Adami asking him to intervene on their behalf so that the development will be stopped.

The development in question is PA01176/00 and is recorded in MEPA’s files as an “extension to commercial premises”. However, the project is the development of an eight-storey building consisting of retail space, business offices and two “social clubs” – each covering an area of 190 square metres – on the top two floors, the residents said.

The residents have already written to Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and to the European Commission on the issue and are contending that the development clearly encroaches on public land and air-space.

The residents have also complained that on several occasions they personally went to MEPA to view the files and plans.

However they claimed that all they saw were plans for the ground and first floor… and they were not given access to the remaining documents in the file.

In the letter to President Fenech Adami, which has been seen by this paper, the residents state that their apartments are clearly marked as scheduled Grade 2 as part of the former Majestic Cinema and it is thus inconceivable that one can allow an eight storey wall to be built in front of a building that is considered so important.

They want the work to stop immediately and for new development permits to be issued that do not include any building in the recessed area.