Moviment Graffitti voices concern after excavation works start at ex-Mistra village

Environmental NGO Moviment Graffitti has voiced its anger at at the current works happening on the site of the former Mistra Village in Xemxija.

The NGO said the works are an attempt at forcing the authorities’ hands in approving the proposed development.

“Given that the site in question has been left abandoned and dilapidated for several years, the fact that works have started now, weeks before the final verdict on the appeal, is nothing but an arrogant move from the side of the developers to put pressure on the court, while disregarding the right of appellants to appeal a case,” it said.

The permit concerns a 12-storey high-rise complex consisting of 744 units on Xemxija ridge. It had been approved in 2013 but was left in limbo after the Ombudsman concluded that the Planning Authority had been wrong to approve the permit.

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The developer applied to renew the permit in 2018 for a further five years, with the PA approving the application in February 2019.

This prompted residents to file an appeal with the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal, but the tribunal confirmed the project’s permit renewal.

Residents went on to file a case in court over the permit.

“Moviment Graffitti condemns this arrogant attitude and points out the fact that citizens have the right to appeal, and clearly, the obvious decision should be to halt works until the verdict of the appeal is announced,” the NGO said. “Allowing these works to start early simply makes a farce of our legal system and tips the scales in the developers favour against the rights of average citizens, when it is they who will suffer the most, putting up with years of construction, and a monstrous development that has raised countless concerns, questions, and objections.”