PN Marsaskala councillors seek Zonqor return to public

Marsaskala PN councillors want the government to take back the land in Zonqor that was given to the Sadeen Group for the construction of a university.

Councillors John Baptist Camilleri, Sandro Gatt and Charlot Cassar have presented a motion asking the Marsaskala local council to formally demand the government to take back the land.  

They insisted the decision to develop Zonqor was a mistake from the start, and that the land should be given back to residents.

The land at Zonqor lies outside the development zone and the Sadeen Group is expected to build the second campus for the American University of Malta.

However, AUM has so far failed to attract students to its campus in Bormla, prompting calls for the government to take back the land in Zonqor.

READ MORE: AUM axes lecturers to make up for poor student intake

“Now that it is clear that the AUM is failing and not reaching its aims, Marsaskala local council has the opportunity to do what should have happened in 2015,” the statement said.

In light of this, the councillors asked the Marsaskala local council to formally ask the government to take back the land and make it public once again, protecting its natural state. They said that the land could become a national park.

READ MORE: Opposition wants Zonqor land returned to public

The councillors added that the local council should also encourage the government to renovate the pool located at Zonqor, as well as external areas around the pool that have been forgotten.

The three said that that common sense should prevail, and that the residents’ interests should take first priority so that the Maltese people can enjoy the area for generations to come.