The Nationalist Party has called for the end of construction of a block of social housing by the government in what the party said is the only available open space in the Taċ-Ċawla area in Rabat, Gozo.

PN MP Alex Borg had sent a letter and a petition to the Prime Minister Robert Abela last week requesting that construction of a residential block be stopped and moved to a different location. The petition was signed by 181 out of 273 of the Taċ-Ċawla area residents, according to a Lovin Malta article.

In a press statement issued by PN MPs Alex Borg, Ivan Bartolo, and Janice Chetcuti, on behalf of the PN said that they have "listened to the serious concerns of residents in the Taċ-Ċawla area."

The PN have called for "the end to the construction of another block of social housing by the government itself in the only available open space in the area," as well as "the improvement of accessibility to existing social housing."

"It appears that Prime Minister Robert Abela and his colleagues have completely ignored these requests, and after months of silence on social media, Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri attempted to justify this project as an open space development."

The PN claimed that the government did so using numbers that create the impression that the residential block will take up very little space.

"The permit applied for by the Ministry, PA/5522/18, clearly show that the children's play areas, as well as the social and recreational zones, will be greatly reduced to make way for a residential block and its access," the statement read.

The PN said that this project is not intended to be an open space development but will actually take up the last available space in the area.

They also said that they are in support of "social accommodation in an alternative location," as well as the "preservation of all surrounding open space for the enjoyment of residents, without the addition of another residential block."

The construction of social accommodation and the preservation of open space are two separate and independent goals, but the government is trying to give the impression that they need to be combined, the statement read.

"It's only the PN that is offering serious and credible solutions to ensure that the area is not burdened with a project that will diminish the quality of life for these residents. The promise of improving accessibility to residences should not remain mere words; it needs to be implemented in practice," the statement concluded.