Momentum calls for MPs to back petition against Mellieħa public land development
The petition, filled by the Mellieħa mayor, is calling for the area to be turned into a public park
Momentum is calling for an immediate parliamentary intervention over a development application to build a 26-room guesthouse and 28 apartments on public land in Mellieħa.
The party urged all MPs to support the petition, as it is an opportunity to "do what is right, to protect community wellbeing, and to ensure that public land is used for the public good."
Last month, the town's mayor, Gabriel Micallef, submitted a petition calling for the plot of land to be turned into a park.
In the petition, Micallef called to “expropriate the land and restore it to public ownership” and to “allocate funds to develop it into a public garden or open green space”.
As of Saturday, the petition has over 660 signatures.
According to the application, PA/07710/24, the development would include a guest house equipped with a spa, pools, a bar, a breakfast area and a gym. It also proposes 28 apartments, 12 underground garages and 21 car spaces.
The land in question is at Żnuber Place, between Triq is-Salib, Triq Salvu Camilleri and Triq Żnuber.
In a statement on Saturday, the party said it fully supports the petition submitted by the mayor and councillors, and noted the idea was originally made by the Mellieħa council two decades ago.
Momentum candidate and Mellieħa resident Carmel Asciak pointed out the deceptive element in the financial structure of the land transfer. He argued that while the land was transferred on a perpetual emphyteusis of €151,000 per annum, he pointed out that this cost is a "temporary rent" for the developer.
"The developer will not be paying this in the long term. This “ċens” will eventually be carved up and passed on to the individual purchasers of the units built," he said.
"The developer gets to exploit public land to build a high-density, high-profit complex, while the permanent financial obligation is offloaded onto the final purchasers. It is a win-win for the private entity and a lose-lose for the people of Mellieħa."
Momentum also highlighted that the project would impact the area's characteristics, and the proposal also appears to breach planning policy NWTO 1 and ignore established height limitations. The party also noted how the area is a natural green site and serves as a vital "lung" for the neighbourhood.
"Public land should serve the public good, not act as a discounted raw material for private speculators," Asciak continued.
"By selling this land for residential and commercial exploitation, the government has ignored the Council’s 2003 plea for a public park."