Nine organisations strongly condemned the proposed Villa Rosa Local Plan review, describing it as “nothing more than a blueprint for large-scale overdevelopment disguised as a planning exercise.”
“Beneath the usual buzzwords, the plan serves a single purpose: to facilitate massive increases in building heights and volumes for the private gain of developer Tal-Franċiż,” the NGOs said in a statement on Friday.
It referred to some of the statements within the review as “meaningless”, including one where the review claims it will ‘…ensure that any resultant shadows are moving and temporary’ – noting that the PA had “pathetically” resorted “to a natural obviousness - since all shadows move - to justify the massive shadowing that will be caused by the Tal-Franċiż monstrosity.”
Under the revised plan, buildings of up to 39 storeys will tower over St George’s Bay, alongside two additional towers of 22 storeys. The development footprint expands to an estimated 146,500 square metres — something which NGOs called “an outrageous intensification that would irreversibly alter the character of the area and severely impact nearby communities, public infrastructure, and natural heritage sites.”
Under the current Local Plan, development on the site is limited to six to seven storeys.
“The review offers no credible justification for such radical changes. There is no evidence of a tourism shortfall in Malta, nor any data to suggest that high-rise hotels will attract ‘high-quality tourism.’ No impact assessments - environmental, social, or economic - have been presented. It fails to explain who requested these changes, what public benefit they serve, or who will bear the cost of the required infrastructure upgrades,” the NGOs said.
The NGO observed that “unsurprisingly, these new parameters mirror the mammoth project proposed by Tal-Franċiż in application PA/07254/22.”
“It is both alarming and deeply undemocratic that business interests, operating behind the scenes, are effectively dictating the laws and regulations of our country,” the NGOs said.
They also called the public consultation process a “farce”, noting that despite 3,047 objections to the proposed changes being submitted, the PA “outrageously claimed” that only 43 objections had been received.
The NGOs said that the revised Local Plan would directly threaten the Grade 1 scheduled Villa Rosa - ironically, the very site after which the Local Plan review is named - the Ħarq Ħammiem Cave (Level 1 protection), and surrounding Areas of Ecological Importance.
“The Planning Authority’s claim that this project will enhance public space is risible. Any open areas introduced will be dwarfed and cast into shadow by towering structures, while increased traffic, congestion, and tourist volumes will overwhelm an already overburdened area - where drainage is already overflowing into the bay - engulfing the localities of Pembroke, St Julian’s, and Swieqi,” the NGOs said.
“If approved, this plan will permanently disfigure one of Malta’s coastal landscapes, with devastating consequences for our cultural and environmental heritage and quality of life,” they continued.
The NGOs called for the immediate withdrawal of this review and demand that “the government prioritises people and the environment over the speculative profits of Tal-Franċiż.”
The public has until 11 June to submit their feedback on this plan via email to [email protected].
The signatory organisations were BirdLife Malta, Din l-Art Ħelwa, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Friends of the Earth Malta, Għawdix, Moviment Graffitti, Nature Trust Malta, Ramblers Association of Malta, and the Archaeological Society Malta.