Pembroke residents turn to President for help in stopping ITS-site project

A group of Pembroke residents have turned to President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca in an effort to stop the development of the proposed Hard Rock hotel on the site of the former Institute for Tourism Studies.

The project will include a 37-storey tower, a 19-storey hotel, as well as a number of nightclubs, restaurants and other facilities.

The residents explained that the massive structure, if built, would be situated only a few metres away from the homes of about 260 families living in social housing units.

“Such monstrous development will not only cover the sun almost permanently for the residents living in these apartments, but it will also inflict permanent damage on their physical and mental health, especially on that of children, during the construction phase of the project that will take years to complete and that will generate incessant air and noise pollution,” the residents said.

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They pointed out that the developer wanted to install a concrete batching-plant next to residents’ homes, something they said was extremely hazardous to people’s health, especially their respiratory system.

The residents emphasized that “all development should take into account the social wellbeing, children’s rights and the rights of future generations”.

In addition to the president, the residents also held three separate meetings with all the MPs elected from the 9th and 10th districts, in order to outline the impacts of the proposed project, which they insist would bury them alive.

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