Santa Luċija open space development threatens residents' quality of life - ADPD

ADPD – The Green Party said that the proposed development for the construction of a five-storey block in a Santa Luċija open space threatened the quality of life of the residents.

During a press conference in Santa Luċija on Saturday morning, ADPD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo questioned the relevance of the government’s public announcements with regards to investment in open spaces, when the little that was left was slated for development.

The Planning Authority is considering an application for the construction of a five-storey block of 48 dwellings on 1,200sq.m of land which presently serves as an open space in the middle of Santa Lucija.

Cacopardo said that one of the lessons learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic was that the lack of open spaces affected the mental health of those that were locked in their homes.

He said that Santa Luċija had been planned in such a manner that many open spaces were left purposely undeveloped in order to be enjoyed by its residents.

“Indeed, this model, which should have been adopted to improve the quality of life of residents, has been discarded and forgotten over time. Instead, we have intensive development that simply seeks to maximize profit,” Cacopardo said.

He said that the development would be threatening the unique character of the locality and changing its topography with a building that exceeds its neighbourhood by two or three floors.

“This open space had been originally designed to offer an essential lung for the local community. Without it the quality of life of this locality’s residents will suffer immensely.”

PA is considering an application for the construction of a five-storey block of 48 dwellings on 1,200sq.m of land in Santa Luċija

He said that the application was a direct consequence of the revision of the local plans in 2006, in which two million square metres of ODZ land was earmarked for development.

“In spite of all the criticism from various quarters the parties in parliament have not had the courage to stand up against this senseless overdevelopment. ADPD – The Gren Party has long been maintaining that the few open spaces remaining within our urban zones should remain as such to offer an essential lung for our communities.”

Cacopardo said that whilst the Environment Ministry was insisting on the need for open spaces, the Planning Authority was repeatedly approving applications for developments in existing open spaces.

“Once again, the residents’ quality of life is being threatened by commercial interests who ride roughshod over their needs,” concluded Cacopardo.

ADPD – The Green Party Deputy Chairperson Sandra Gauci said that more open spaces were being destroyed by the “greed of certain developers who only focus on how to best fill their pockets, continuously disregarding that which is beneficial for the local communities.”

She said that they were ignoring the mental health and the quality of the residents. Gauci said that the quality of life of Santa Luċija residents was in jeopardy by the development plans.

Gauci argued that the development would undermine the characteristics of the locality and its way of life, and also generate an excessive amount of dust and traffic.

“Whereas previously one thought that one’s hometown will be spared from being a developers’ target, many are now realizing that the developers’ greed might reach one’s doorstep and no locality – no matter how small – will be spared.”

She said that the fact that 1,000 out of around 3,000 residents objected to this development indicates how negatively it would affect them.

“They should not be treated as second-class citizens. Many of them are senior citizens, and all they wish for is to live in peace and enjoy their own homes. The threat of having your daylight blocked out by party walls, alongside the dust and vibrations created from the excavations are very much a reality that with some foresight can be avoided,” concluded Gauci.