Sliema residents are protesting the “unsafe” single entry/exit point for an 800-car garage and a prospective 3,000 daily trips to a “monster” development in an already gridlocked area.

Living in apartments surrounding an “internal overdevelopment” in the making, they are fighting being imprisoned in their homes as they claim more traffic will be generated by the daily movement of thousands of vehicles in and out of a single tunnel to the Townsquare Project in Tigné.

The residents, mostly elderly, are appealing a permit that has grown to include a 10-storey hotel metres away from their back windows and a 28-floor tower.

But developer Michael Stivala has dismissed concerns about the entry/exit point to the project, saying they were “entirely unfounded”. He cited as a reason the fact that vehicular entrance through the existing tunnel has been a “fundamental aspect of the development plan since its inception”.

Stivala said the entry and exit strategy received official approval in the initial permit granted many years ago. All existing apartment owners were fully informed about this when making their purchase decisions, “demonstrating transparency and accountability from the outset”, he added.

The residents, however, say the latest permit, PA 1398/23, approved in November, “bore no resemblance” to the previous permit, increasing the number of apartments by 75 new units to 234, parking spaces by 200 to over 800, and including commercial areas and eateries on land surrounded by residences on three sides.

All this would be accessed by one tunnel underlying the Townsquare Seafront Apartments on Triq Qui-si-Sana.

The latest permit for the project on the site of the Union Club, Villa Drago and residents’ homes, by ST Property Investments Ltd, is now being appealed on grounds of safety hazards, pollution, privacy issues and breaches of policy.

Living on top of a busy tunnel

Monica Pisani lives in what was bought as an elegant, high-end seafront apartment. She said these apartments would now be devalued while she will have to contend with increased traffic through the tunnel directly beneath the length of her first-floor Townsquare home.

She foresees vibrations, fumes, smells, smoke and reduction in air quality as this narrow entry and exit point will now cater for more than 3,000 daily trips in an already busy and densely developed town centre.

Those trips will be servicing the approved hotel and holidaymakers – not just a residential high-rise building, Pisani pointed out.

The tunnel is the only access point of the car park as another opening on Triq Hughes Hallett has now been eliminated after opposition from the residents there.

“The plan to build a four-storey underground car park, with only one connection to the road, is insane. How do people and cars get out of the garage in an emergency?”

“The requirement to merely monitor the situation is totally inadequate and no such permit should have been approved before the problem of increased traffic generation is seriously tackled.

“People need to know about the congestion that will arise from this project; it will affect not only the Tigné area but all roads leading to it from Gżira and even St Julian’s and beyond.”

From her rear balcony, she points out the proximity of the new hotel to the residential apartments.

The impact of an approved roof-top swimming pool and round-the-clock operating hours, catering facilities, deliveries, light and noise disturbance had not been assessed, she said, highlighting “absolutely no buffer zone” between the hotel and residences.

On the other hand, according to the developer, the inclusion of a hotel within the project was expected to reduce private vehicle traffic, further contributing to the overall traffic management strategy.

The Townsquare development “endeavours to offer a well-rounded living experience, while prioritising the mitigation of its impact on local traffic and community life,” Stivala maintained.

Lack of studies

Referring to the “serious” lack of risk assessments and studies to measure the impact of the substantial increase in the generation of traffic and pollution, Pisani’s lawyer, Tanya Sciberras Camilleri, pinned the shortcoming on the Planning Authority in her appeal.

She warned it would be “held solely responsible in the event of any incident, such as a fire in the car park or garage, which would leave persons trapped in the site, given the restricted access to a public road”.

The PA failed to impose its own policies to ensure the safety of the building, the site and the residences, she said.

The elimination of vehicular access from Triq Hughes Hallett, even though the approved development had increased, was not studied and neither had the impact of the use of the tunnel been considered, the lawyer charged.

A traffic impact assessment did not measure the overall cumulative effect on Tigné, considering other substantial developments on the peninsula.

Stivala, however, rebutted that “in response to community feedback, the project underwent rigorous re-evaluation by independent experts”.

Their findings not only supported the initial entrance plan, but also led to further enhancements based on their recommendations, he continued. “These studies, which have been endorsed by the authorities, are publicly accessible, underscoring our commitment to openness and continuous improvement.”

To address any potential traffic concerns, a comprehensive green transport strategy, “incorporating various measures aimed at optimising traffic flow and enhancing safety”, was implemented, the CEO of the Stivala Group of Companies said.

“A dedicated taxi and environment-friendly mobility entrance was established to alleviate congestion, showcasing our proactive approach to traffic management,” he added.

“By adopting advanced traffic management technologies, we anticipate maintaining smooth access to the site without significantly impacting traffic conditions on Qui-si-Sana Street.”

But the residents are not convinced that the already existing congestion will not be aggravated by the development, and another octogenarian, Joan Dejong, living on Triq Tigné, fears “we will die in our homes if we have a heart attack”.

Access to what has been described as an “internal development” through Qui-si-Sana Lane was meant only for taxis and scooters, the residents complained, trawling through files of documentation on the project they have gathered over the years.

The three applications showed clearly that the intensity of the development had increased with time, but the footprint remained the same, said Josie Muscat, who felt “stressed and cheated”; while Charles Falzon said the “citizens should come first not last”.

Three ongoing appeals against the development

Three appeals are currently under way: against the Environment and Resources Authority’s go-ahead on an updated environment impact statement; by a number of residents in the locality; and by Pisani alone.

The Environment and Planning Review Tribunal is being requested to revoke the decision to grant the permit, given its “flagrant breach of planning policies and massive overdevelopment”, said Sciberras Camilleri on behalf of her client, and listing nine grounds for this.

“It is very clear that this project is simply going under the radar and the public is not even aware of the implications it will have for Sliema. Plus, there is the huge safety issue that everybody seems to be ignoring.

“Because it is a complicated permit, things are simply getting glossed over by the powers that be,” she said.