Minister Miriam Dalli reverses plan on Qajjenza land grab

Environment Minister Miriam Dalli, responsible for Enemalta and elected from the Birzebbuga constituency, has reversed plans to allow MDA Secretary General Paul Attard to ‘grab’ a massive piece of public land in Qajjenza and turn it into a mega-development.

Following pressure from the local community and the media, Dalli made an eleventh-hour change of heart and insisted that Enemalta would not be selling its land for speculation. Instead, it would develop the former LPG bottling plant for its own use.

In a sweetener aimed at calming down her constituents’ growing anger, who are insisting the area should be turned into a public open space, Dalli now told the media that despite Enemalta, not Attard, building offices for the corporation’s use, it will leave most of the massive plot as a public open space.

Dalli is now also suggesting to Enemalta that part of the future building will be made available for community projects in Birzebbuga. However, it seems that the Chinese shareholders of Enemalta have not yet given their approval.

The Qajjenza Project

Last year, The Shift revealed suspicious plans submitted to the Planning Authority to turn the former Qajjenza bottling plant into six massive units, mostly residential flats.

The application for the area was submitted by developer Paul Attard, even though most of the land in question is owned by Enemalta and the government.

At the time, Miriam Dalli and Enemalta said nothing. They refused to explain how Attard used Enemalta’s land for his application.

Speculation further increased after Enemalta gave Attard its consent to move forward with his planning application. At the same time, The Shift revealed a €12 million promise of sale between Attard and the Mifsud family, which privately owned a third of the land.

This opened the possibility that Enemalta and the government could offer Attard the right of first refusal in an eventual sale. Attard already used this ‘tactic’ on a massive public land he acquired in Mellieha for very favourable terms.

Opposition grew against Attard’s plans, with many residents in the Qajjenza area informally accusing Minister Dalli of betraying her constituents’ needs.

Minister Dalli then got cold feet. Following the publication of visuals of Attard’s plans for Enemalta’s land, Dalli publicly dismissed them, insisting that she never agreed to such a plan when Enemalta gave its consent.

Following private discussions with Attard, fresh designs were submitted to the PA, and Dalli went public stating that none of Enemalta’s land would be transferred to Attard.

The PA is expected to approve the re-zoning of the area this week.

It is unknown whether Attard will continue with his project once he cannot incorporate Enemalta’s land.