Nationalist Party Member of Parliament Graham Bencini has called on the public to oppose a proposed redevelopment of the Speedy fuel station along the Sliema promenade, warning that the project poses serious environmental health, and urban planning concerns.

In a Facebook post published on Wednesday, Bencini urged residents to object to application PA/03585/25 before the deadline on Friday. The proposal seeks to demolish existing structures and redevelop the site into a modernised service station with new underground tanks, an ancillary shop and office, an overlying canopy, and photovoltaic panels.

Bencini criticised the project as yet another instance of public land being “swallowed up by encroachment”, highlighting the promenade’s importance as a communal space for residents, families, and visitors. “Our sidewalks, parks, and gathering areas are being taken bit by bit”, he wrote, stressing the need to protect shared spaces in high-density urban areas.

The MP raised strong objections to the station’s proximity to residential buildings and culturally significant landmarks. According to the Planning Authority’s Fuel Station Policy (2015), petrol stations should not be permitted within 150 metres of churches or in residential zones. The proposed site is just 40 metres from the Carmelite convent between 70 and 110 metres from the Knisja tal-Karmnu.

Bencini argued that the development would increase noise pollution, emissions, and traffic in an already congested and sensitive part of Sliema, thereby lowering the area’s overall air quality of life. He noted that similar objections had previously led to the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal rejecting a less intensive application PA/03215/20, a short distance from the current site.

He also criticised the applicant’s attempt to compare the proposal to another planning application, PA/03730/25, which involved changes within a commercial complex. Bencini stressed that PA/03585/25 involves far more intensive redevelopment and falls under different planning classifications and constraints.

The site lies within a kilometre of several other operating fuel stations, further weakening the case for redevelopment in a densely populated area.

Residents can object by emailing [email protected] with the subject line “PA/03585/25”, or through the Planning Authority’s eApps system, either anonymously or by signing with their name.