BirdLife hits out at ‘moral crime’ after ERA endorses Marsaxlokk garden offices

Birdlife Malta describes the Environment and Resources Authority’s go-ahead for the development of the Marsaxlokk council offices on 900sq.m of public school garden grounds as “unacceptable” 

Birdlife Malta has described the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA)’s go-ahead for the development of the Marsaxlokk council offices on 900sq.m of public school garden grounds as “unacceptable” and the proposed development as a “moral crime”.

The NGO warned that the Authority’s “weak position on this project” could give the green light to the Planning Authority to accept a development which will destroy the “urban open space enjoyed by Marsaxlokk school students and residents”.

Last week MaltaToday had revealed that Malta’s environmental protection watchdog had told the Planning Authority that it will not be objecting to the development of local council offices in the Marsaxlokk school garden, as long as additional trees are planted to compensate for those which will be lost.

In its submission to the Planning Authority, the ERA acknowledged the concerns with on the uptake of part of an urban open space, but said the development was intended as a community facility inside a committed development zone.

But BirdLife was not impressed by ERA’s reasoning. While recognising that the school garden is within a development zone and the trees are not legally protected, “this does not make this project ethically or morally right”.

BirdLife CEO Mark Sultana said justifying the uprooting of old trees with a request to replace them in other urban area is “ridiculous”.

“The value of the trees to the children’s health, well-being and academic achievement cannot be uprooted and transplanted. There is no compensation that can ever be paid to the Marsaxlokk children and school staff for the loss of the countless benefits the garden is providing,” Sultana said.

The NGO also called on the Marsaxlokk local council to “dig deep to find their soul and remember why they ultimately exist; to work for the benefit of the community and for the wellbeing of the residents”. Allowing this project to go ahead according to Birdlife “is nothing short of a moral crime”.

The Marsaxlokk local council wants to build a community centre on 920sq.m of garden space in the locality’s primary school, that will impact a number of trees.

The planning application foresees the “transplanting” of 37 olive trees, cypress trees, pomegranate trees, Judas trees and pecan nut trees.

The community centre will have three storeys, to house the local council, a social security office, a post office, a library and a public hall. A receded top storey will host a roof garden with benches.

The council approved the project with three votes to two, the latter being that of PN councillor Janice Chetcuti and deputy mayor Elenia Desira. Hundreds of residents turned out for a protest against the development in December.