Environmentalists on Saturday joined residents from Swieqi, Pembroke and St Julian's and several NGOs in a protest against the development of the Villa Rosa area in St George's Bay.

Their main target was the amendments to the planning restrictions which are set to accommodate a massive construction project in the area, which they say will bury residential areas and create traffic and infrastructural problems.

Addressing those present, Graffitti's Andre Callus criticised the government for making claims that the project is still in a consultation phase. No one is naïve enough to believe this, he told the crowd.

He added that it a direct threat to democracy that business interests dictate the laws and regulations in our country.

"Plans to revise the local plan have the sole aim of enabling the construction of a monstrous project," Callus said, adding that the fact that the revision process began after the developer had a meeting with the Cabinet was not a coincidence.

Earlier this month, reports that the government had given instructions to the Planning Authority to change the Local Plan so that the developers, Garnet Investments, would be able to build three towers, of between 27 and 34 floors each, were not denied. Environmentalists say this project will bury St George's Bay and the historic Villa Rosa building, and swallow the only open space left between St Julian's and Pembroke.

Garnet Investments are the owners of the Villa Rosa site and in 2018 obtained a permit to build a combination of villas and offices in the area.

They later revised those plans, instead proposing to build three towers housing five-star hotels on the site. 

Following this announcement, the Planning Authority had launched a partial review of the 2006 North Harbours Local Plan for the Paceville area. The objectives of the review, a Planning Authority document reads, is to, among other things, "re-configure the boundaries of the sub-zones within the site without any changes to the overall site boundary," and to "allocate the land uses within the redefined sub-zones to identify the: a) minimum areas of public open space which must exceed the current allocations in the local plan; b) minimum areas of private open space; c) zones where higher quality hotels shall be allowed; d) zones where residential development shall be allowed; e) zones where a mix of uses (office, retail and catering and other appropriate uses) shall be allowed; f) location of carpark/s."

In a statement, Garnet Investments had said they view this as an "opportunity to come up with a new proposal to the Planning Authority and deliver an even better project-one that not only offers a superior tourism product but also provides meaningful benefits to the local community."

Addressing the protest on Saturday, Callus said that it is not a coincidence that the plan in question "covers the exact area of his proposed project, and that its stated objectives align with changing development parameters, so that what is currently prohibited becomes permitted," he said.

"We will not accept this affront to democracy and this threat to our quality of life," he said. "The people will fight back."

Callus said opposition would continue even after the Saturday event.  "This battle will not end here, because we care. We know it's a difficult battle, but it will continue," he said.   

Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar coordinator Astrid Vella said that the people have been stabbed in the back by the project.

"Sacrificing the health of 30,000 persons, physical and mental, to enable developers to control Malta. Not only are we not "Malta Tagħna lkoll", but "Malta biss tal-iżviluppaturi," she said.

The event was supported by: Azzjoni: Tuna Artna Lura, BirdLife Malta, Din l-Art Ħelwa, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Friends of the Earth Malta, Għawdix, Moviment Graffitti, Nature Trust Malta, Ramblers' Association Malta, The Archaeological Society Malta and Wirt Għawdex, together with the Swieqi and St. Julian's local councils  took part in the protest.