A group of Mellieħa residents have filed a petition to parliament urging the Lands Authority to reverse a decision to give away a large unspoilt site in the village for residential development.

The residents want the undeveloped site at Tal-Qortin, covering 5,300 square metres, to remain a public open space.

Through a notice on its website and in the Government Gazette, the Land Authority issued a call for tender for the perpetual revisable emphyteusis of the site abutting Triq il-Migbha, Triq is-Saghtar, and Wesgħat in-Narċis.

The winning bidder may redeem the emphyteusis within the first 15 years after a revision according to the rate of inflation. Tenders are to be accompanied by a €50,000 bid bond.

Offers below €279,620 per annum will not be considered, the offer notice says. The tender documents are available against a fee of €50.

The residents filed their petition before the Parliamentary Petitions Committee, which is headed by Labour MP Chris Agius with Labour MPs Katya De Giovanni and Abigail Camilleri and Nationalist Party MPs Charles Azzopardi and Ivan Castillo as members.

An aerial view of the site in question.

The residents expressed their “deep concerns” about the offer, stressing that their locality has become densely populated and heavily burdened with infrastructure. There is also a scarcity of green open spaces within its development zone.

“The current oversupply of multi-unit dwellings highlights the need for more accessible green spaces, instead of additional residential units. If the tender to transfer this government land to the private sector were to proceed, it would exacerbate the existing challenges faced by the community, causing additional strain on the infrastructure and further degradation of the quality of life for residents,” they wrote.

They called on the House of Representatives to withdraw the offer and instead preserve this public land for public use and enjoyment as a green open space.

“We implore the House of Representatives to take our concerns seriously and act in the best interest of Mellieħa residents and the environment. We believe that the protection and preservation of green spaces is vital for the well-being of current and future generations,” they added.

Castillo, previously a councillor in Mellieħa, called out the government for its “hypocrisy” following the announcement of the Project Green initiative which is meant to promote green open spaces.

“While the government is promising to spend €700 million to designate land into open public spaces, a call for expressions of interest has been issued through the Lands Authority for a huge open space in Mellieħa," he complained.  “Stop this madness and convert this open space into a green area as you promised to the electorate,” he added.