PN asks for urgent debate on Villa Rosa’s change of rules

The Nationalist Party has upped its ante on the latest growing government scandal and submitted a parliamentary motion for an urgent debate on the controversial proposals to change the area’s local plan.

MPs Stanley Zammit and Rebekah Borg insisted that Planning Minister Clint Camilleri presents a full explanation about what is being proposed and that the Parliamentary Committee for Development Planning is given full authority to analyse the government’s decision.

They want to ensure that the public interest, sustainability and the well-being of residents are given priority in any local plan change.

The motion calls for a  discussion and a vote in Parliament and the two MPs urged the government members on the committee to agree and refrain from creating further obstacles.

In a statement, the PN insisted that it believes that any change must be made in a transparent and responsible manner.

The motion comes after The Shift exposed how the government ordered the Planning Authority (PA) to start a partial review of the St George’s Bay local plan in St Julian’s. The review is intended to accommodate a project submitted by Anthony Camilleri, known as Tal-Franċiż.

The Shift revealed that after a discussion at Cabinet level, it was agreed that planning rules at St George’s Bay should be altered so that Tal-Franċiż can build his €305 million project, which critics, including Din l-Art Ħelwa, have described as “atrocious”.

Camilleri is one of the country’s major developers, although he keeps a low profile. Through his company, Garnet Investments, he proposes turning the historic Villa Rosa area into an “iconic mixed development.”

It will consist of two towers, one reaching 34 storeys and another 27 storeys, with almost 800 serviced apartments and 247 hotel rooms. The project also includes 16,000 square metres of office space.

The development will occupy 237,000 square metres of built area – the size of 33 football pitches.

According to the current local plan, Camilleri’s project cannot happen because the area only allows much smaller and lower developments. The Prime Minister has now ordered the PA to change the rules so that Camilleri can execute his plan as he wishes.