Letter Of Objection to Valletta Regeneration Plans

Letter Of Objection to Valletta Regeneration Plans as proposed

MEPA has just published planning application 03521/09 for the processing of the Valletta Regeneration Plans to include City Gate, a new Parliament at Freedom Square and an open-air theatre on the Royal Opera House site.

While Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar (FAA) supports the remodelling of the City Gate area, it maintains that this project needs to be planned with great care in order to avoid a repetition of past mistakes. FAA is concerned that an open-air theatre is a wasted investment as most performances in Summer would be disturbed by noise from surrounding festas and other events. A roofed theatre is essential for large-scale productions which cannot be accommodated on the Manoel Theatre and Conference Centre stages during the winter theatre season and which would also attract much-needed cultural tourists.

Freedom Square is one of Valletta’s few open squares and could be embellished to the enjoyment of all of the public, while a new Parliament could be accommodated in other locations such as St George’s Square facing the palace, which would have far more political and historic significance. The Structure Plan also states: “Parliament and the Ministries will concentrate in the palaces and auberges of Valletta.” As such the Auberge de Baviere or the Sacra Infermeria (Mediterranean Conference Centre), would also be far less costly options than the present proposal.

FAA is especially concerned by the traffic management plan which has proposed that traffic should enter from St Mark’s Street and proceed up Old Bakery Street towards South Street. This would hugely increase toxic exhaust emission which would damage residents’ health and old buildings. Alternative public transport, traffic and parking arrangements should be put in to place before the project is implemented as the present proposals will have a negative impact on Valletta residents, its visitors and commercial community.

FAA also notes that the project as proposed violates the clauses of the Structure Plan for the Maltese Islands, as well as the Valletta Local Plan, details of which are listed in the proposed objection.

If you agree with the above, you are invited to submit the following objection to MEPA by filling out your details (email address, name and address) in the form by clicking HERE and then clicking the 'submit' button below not later than the 11th October 2009. 

The FAA Committee

Oggezzjoni ghall-Pjanijiet ta’ Rigenerazzjoni tal-Belt hekk kif ipprezentati

Il-MEPA ghadha kemm ippubblikat applikazzjoni tal-ippjanar 03521/09 ghall-ipprocessar tal-Pjanijiet ta’ Rigenerazzjoni tal-Belt Valletta li jinkludu Bieb il-Belt, Parlament gdid fi Pjazza Helsien u teatru mikxuf fuq is-sit tat-Teatru l-Imwaqqa’

Waqt li l-FAA tappoggja r-rimudellar tal-inhawi ta’ Bieb Il-Belt, hi thoss li dan il-Progett ghandu jkun ippjanat b’ikbar ghaqal biex zbalji ikunu evitati. FAA hija mhassba li teatru mikxuf huwa investiment mohli minhabba li prezentazzjonijiet li jsiru fih fis-sajf ikunu disturbati mill-istorbju tal-festi ta’ madwar u avvenimenti ohra. Huwa essenzjali li jkollna teatru imsaqqaf ghal produzzjonijiet kbar li ma jistghu isiru fit-Teatru Manoel u fic-Centru tal-Konferenzi u li jattiraw turisti li jfittxu avvenimenti ta’ kultura li tant jinhtiegu waqt l-istagun tax-xitwa.

Pjazza Helsien hija wahda mill-ftit pjazez miftuha fil-Belt u din tista’ tissebbah biex tintuza’ mill-pubbliku kollu, waqt li Parlament gdid jista’ jsir f’ Pjazza San Gorg faccata tal-palazz, sit li ghandu tifsira politika u storika hafna ikbar. Il-Pjan ta’ Struttura jghid ukoll: ‘Il-Parlament u l-Ministeri jkunu koncentrati fil-palazzi u l-bereg fil-Belt Valletta’. Kif inhuma l-affarijiet, l-uzu tal-Berga ta’ Bavjera jew is-Sagra Infermeria (ic-Centru Mediterran ghall-Konferenzi) ikunu ukoll ghazliet bi spejjez ferm inqas mill-proposta prezenti.

L-FAA hija partikularment imhassba mil-pjan ta’ kontroll tat-traffiku li qed jipproponi li t-traffiku ghandu jidhol minn Triq San Mark u jkompli ‘l fuq fi Triq l-Ifran lejn Triq Nofsinhar. Dan se jfisser zjieda sostanzjali fl-emissjoni ta’ ekzjost tossiku li jkun ta’ hsara ghas-sahha tar-residenti u ghall-bini antik. Provizjon ta’ transport publiku, arrangamenti tat-traffiku u ta’ parkegg alternattivi, ghandhom jigu implimentati qabel il-progett ghax kif inhuma l-pjanijiet prezenti, dan il-progett se jkollu impatt negattiv fuq ir-residenti, il-vizitaturi u fuq il-komunita’ kummercjali tal-Belt.

L-FAA tinnota wkoll li kif inhu propost bhalissa, il-progett jiksser il-klawsoli tal-Pjan ta’ Struttura ghall-Gzejjer Maltin, kif ukoll il-Pjan Lokali ghall-Belt Valletta, li dettalji tieghu huma elenkati fl-objezzjoni proposta.

Jekk inti taqbel ma’ dan l-imsemmi fuq, qed nistiednuk li tissottometti l-objezzjoni li gejja lill-MEPA billi timla id-dettalji tieghek fil-formula HAWN, mhux aktar tard mill-11 ta’ Ottubru 2009. not later than the 11th October 2009.

Il-Kumitat FAA