Eight organisations and several Pembroke residents have joined forces and filed an appeal with the Planning Tribunal against the Environment and Resources Authority's (ERA) approval of the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) for the DB Group's project on the ex-ITS site.

On Thursday, the Planning Authority’s case officer recommended the project for approval. The board will decide on the application on 10th June.

The Environment and Resources Authority had approved the Final Assessment for the proposed db Group’s City Centre multi-use development on the ITS site in April.

In a statement, the organisations said “this massive and intensive project, in a predominantly residential area and adjacent to two Natura 2000 sites, had attracted a record amount of objections - 17,000 objections over four objection periods - and staunch opposition from all directions, including residents, local councils, business groups, and NGOs.”

“We will not stand by and let ERA rubber stamp a deeply flawed, unsubstantiated and incomplete assessment" said a spokesperson for the appellants. "ERA continues to consider the excavation of a tunnel which is not included in the application as a mitigating factor, but refuses to consider the negative environmental impacts of the tunnel. The assessment is based on untested assumptions and is rife with inconsistencies. Once more ERA has abdicated its responsibilities as an environmental watchdog which safeguards the substantive and procedural rights deriving from both local and EU law. We will challenge this."

The statement was signed by: Din l-Art Ħelwa, Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar (FAA), Friends of the Earth Malta, Green House, Moviment Graffitti, Rota, the Archaeological Society Malta and Żminijietna – Voice of the Left.