Proposals for the building of an underground car park at Balluta Square ran into stiff opposition from residents this evening at a standing-room only public meeting held by St Julians Council in a nearby hotel.

The council is proposing to build a nine-storey cylindrical underground car park which would be served by a lift which would carry cars down to vacant slots.

Council architect Stephen Farrugia explained that the car park would be confined to the top part of the square and the historic part would not be touched. His presentation was repeatedly interrupted and often drowned out by uncharacteristically rowdy residents who expressed disapproval of practically every aspect of the project.

During reactions from the floor, residents argued that building a car park would only serve to draw more cars and harmful pollution to the area. George Debono said this was an outdated approach, when the trend now was to discourage cars from the core of urban areas.

The residents questioned the need for the car park when a public transport reform was underway, saying it was evident that this was meant for the convenience of others, particularly people who went to Paceville. Many insisted that a more suitable location for a proper car park was the square in front of the former Tiguglio disco, which had served as a bus terminus.

One of the residents pointed out that the local plan for the area spoke about diverting traffic out of Sliema and St Julians to the Regional Road ring road, This proposed project would do the opposite.

It was also pointed out that with minor alterations, the road alongside the square could cater for more residents' parking if parking was perpendicular to the pavement.

NGO spokesman Astrid Vella expressed concern about excavations for this underground car park just metres away from Balluta Buildings, which had been scheduled by Mepa. She also asked how the council was proposing to build a car park in this urban area - with the resultant increase in vehicle emissions - when Mepa itself was encouraging the relocation of petrol stations away from urban areas for the same reason.

Dr Austin Sammut and other residents also criticised the council for not having held proper consultation with the residents when the idea was first conceived, rather than after much money had been spent on the drawing up of plans.

They also insisted that the mayor and his council needed to live up to their promise to drop the project, once the residents were against it.

See also

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20091125/local/balluta-residents-get-first-glimpse-of-proposed-car-park