The environmental  NGO Graffitti will be holding a public protest on Saturday 26 October at 10.30am at St George’s Bay in protest against what the NGO is claiming is collusion between government and developer Tal-Franciz regarding the Villa Rosa in St George’s Bay.

The NGO said the government’s real intention had been revealed through a discrepancy in a Planning Authority application that has been submitted.

Earlier this week, the Authority published a report to initiate a review of the area’s local plan. The Shift revealed earlier this month that efforts were being made to change the local plan to accommodate the project.

The site included in the local plan review for public consultation. Photo: Planning Authority

While the document states it is proposing a review of Villa Rosa, the new document also includes the area encompassed by Planning Authority application 7254/22, which is the area of the Tal-Franciz application.

This application is for three towers, ranging from 27 to 34 storeys, which will bury St George’s Bay, engulf the historic Villa Rosa building and remove the only open area between St Julian’s and Pembroke.

This shows that the government is ready to change the law to help out a developer, the NGO said. “The prime minister’s announcement of a public consultation is thus a bare-faced lie since it is clear the only intention is to help out a developer.”

As regards the developer’s claimed magnanimity, this is nothing more than attempting to put wool over people’s eyes – first, the developer asks for what is beyond what is allowed, then graciously offers to reduce the height (but says nothing of the application’s volume).

People should be protected by clear laws rather than having to rely on the developer’s magnanimity, the organisation stressed. “People should be protected against such monstrosities by clear rules that safeguard their well-being and quality of life. They should not have to rely on the fake benevolence of construction magnates and their vague promises of slightly mitigating the massive injustices to be inflicted on them.

Objectors are encouraged to submit their objections to villarosa.consultation@pa.org.mt