Mistra appeal: Over €5,500 collected in just a week, another €2,000 to reach target

'We are fighting for the community. People put all their savings and take loans to buy their property. Then somebody without any interest in the town just comes along and dumps 770 apartments, burying an entire town in dust and darkness'

Residents are aiming to collect the required funds by Friday
Residents are aiming to collect the required funds by Friday

A crowd-funding initiative aimed at covering the costs of an appeal against the approval of 744 apartments build over 12 floors in Mistra is just €2000 short of reaching its aim.

Residents aim to collect the necessary funds by Friday 1 March

The non-partisan civic initiative involves a number of residents who are collecting donations for the cause, with residents expressing their disappointment at the lack of support from the St Paul's Bay local council.

Councillors were due to discuss the project at an urgent meeting scheduled for last week, but not enough members showed up to make up a meeting quorum.

The council did not even turn up to vote on the project at the PA hearing where the permit issued in 2013 was renewed.

"We've collected €5,500 in just a few days, and we'll continue collecting money and working hard until the end. Even if we fail, we're proud of what this community has achieved." Karen Tanti told MaltaToday,

This contrasted with the support given to the crowd-funded appeal against the DB development in Pembroke by the Swieqi, Pembroke and St Julian’s local councils.

Residents have also received a number of donations from residents of localities under threat from other mega projects, such as Pembroke identified for a 38 storey high rise and Xgħajra which has been mentioned as a possible site for land reclamation.

“It's a clear message: people have had enough of the construction lobby's excesses,” Wayne Flask told MaltaToday. He also expressed distrust in politicians “trying to use us as a platform for their politicking."

"We are fighting for the community. People put all their savings and take loans to buy their property. Then somebody without any interest in the town just comes along and dumps 770 apartments, burying an entire town in dust and darkness," he added.

An investigation by architect David Pace – environment and planning officer at the Ombudsman’s office – concluded MEPA was wrong to issue an outline permit in 2008 and continued to make the situation worse when it chose to green-light the full development of the site in 2013.

The development is in breach of the Floor Area Ratio policy approved in 2014 which bans high rise developments on ridges but the case officer report contends that the area was identified for high rise development in the local plan approved in 2006.  

Donations can be made via paypal on [email protected], or via revolut (PM Priscilla Grima). The campaign is being organized by Wayne Flask, Karen Tanti, Priscilla Grima and Sandra Copperstone.