The Lands Authority will be transferring four open spaces in Luqa, Kirkop, Lija and St Julian’s to Project Green, which will be responsible for turning them into public parks.

Prime Minister Robert Abela announced the plans as he stood beside one of the vacant plots at Ta' Ġiorni in St Julian's. This particular plot is 2,300 square metres.

He said 30 apartment blocks could have been built in the space, which has a combined value of €20 million.  

Having open spaces in town centres where people can relax is among the Labour government’s goals, Abela said. 

Lands minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi said the four tracts of lands measured  a total of 8,000 square metres - one-and-a-half football pitches. 

Instead of just looking at the economic value of the land, the government is prioritising communities' quality of life, Abela said.

Environment Minister Miriam Dalli said the new public gardens will not include many buildings or structures and trees already present in some of the sites will be incorporated into the project.

No right to develop but amending local plans unjust - Abela

Fielding questions, Abela said local plans did not give landowners an automatic right to develop. 

These offered the Planning Authority guidance when it came to granting permits.

They determined what and where new structures could be built.

Amending them, he said, would mean “removing the carpet from underneath every person who owns a plot of land in this country”. In doing so, it would create a great injustice with these owners.

“It would create market instability and it would break people economically," he said.  

Abela said landowners come in all forms in Malta and were not just limited to rich developers.