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Xemxija residents have sent an open letter to Prime Minister Robert Abela and ministers, calling on the government to protect Xemxija’s bushland from construction.
A group of more than 150 Xemxija residents, mainly from the Xemxija Heights area, has sent an open letter calling on the government to protect a relatively undeveloped patch of bushland that is threatened by a planning application to build a 13-storey tower with nearly 300 apartments.
The open letter was sent to Abela, Environment Minister Miriam Dalli, Planning Minister Clint Camilleri and Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo.
This is the second time residents have made their voices heard, after they held a press conference in March with the support of Moviment Graffitti and other NGOs. That press conference was held following a motion by St Paul’s Bay Local Council calling on the government to purchase the land and hand it over to public use.
“Residents are concerned for several reasons. Firstly, the site is ecologically significant, hosting a variety of rare and native life forms, including orchids of ‘significant ecological value’ – as determined by the ERA,” said a spokesman for Moviment Graffitti, which is supporting the residents.
“Residents disputed the authorities’ claim that the building footprint would not affect the plants, providing data showing that the Malta-endemic Pyramid Orchid grows throughout the site. They also pointed out that building a 13-storey tower just metres from delicate plants would certainly cause harm.”
In addition to orchids, the area is home to a variety of endemic plants and animals, including the extremely rare fairy shrimp.
The site is also an area of archaeological interest. The wheel tracks on the site are among the remains found in an archaeologically rich area that also includes Punic and Roman remains.
Residents also expressed concerns that the project would cause access problems, as the area is only accessible via a pair of steep, narrow streets, one of which is impassable for service vehicles and impassable for any vehicle on wet roads.
“Combined with the ongoing redevelopment of the former Mistral village, they warn that in just a few years the number of apartments in the area will triple, from about 450 to 1,500,” Graffitti said.
“Residents have therefore expressed their full support for St Paul’s Bay Local Council’s motion calling on the government to purchase the land and hand it over to public use. They are also calling for the site to be given the highest level of protection to preserve its unique ecological features – an Area of Ecological Importance Level 1.”
Most of the signatories are residents of the areas most directly affected, including Triq il-Maqdes Megalitiku, Triq Piscopo Macedonia, Triq Katerina Vitale, Triq l’Imġiebaħ and Triq il Preistorja.
The open letter has also received support from some environmental NGOs and local council candidates in St Paul’s Bay.
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