Project Green 'gimmicks' are distracting from theft of public spaces - ADPD

Public spaces are being gobbled up for development using pretexts that do not stand up to scrutiny, the Green Party has argued.

ADPD chairperson Sandra Gauci emphasised the point during a press conference held on Saturday in Balzan.

She said the government was distracting people with “gimmick” agencies like Project Green making a fuss over pocket gardens, while swathes of public land were being given over to development instead of being granted to the public for recreational purposes.

Gauci noted a planned development in Buġibba as a case in point. The government intends to build a regional health centre in a residential area, complete with parking for 800 vehicles.

Those plans were amended to save various mature ficus trees, following a public outcry and pressure from ADPD and Birdlife Malta.

Gauci noted the lack of public spaces in Buġibba and said Malta’s coast was being gradually taken up by developers, one piece at a time.

She also noted that the government was now planning on building a home for the elderly in Għarb, despite a similar home in Għajnsielem having never been completed.

“In a country where the greed to acquire is dominant, be it a pavement or public land, a beach or a property, people are finding themselves fighting for some air, for places where their children can play and run safely,” the ADPD leader said. “We spoke about pavements which have been occupied by tables and chairs, but everything starts to become normalised with the false reasoning that the operators must earn their living. Yes sure, make a decent living, but not at the expense of the people around you,” she continued.

Gauci was accompanied by ADPD local council candidate for Balzan Samuel Vella, who said the town’s main square should be pedestrianised several days a week.

Aside from providing more open space for residents to enjoy, the initiative would also help local businesses as it would encourage visitors and remove the risk of being hit by a vehicle while shopping.

“It is really easy to go round Ħal Balzan on foot and by bicycle, and I want to make this safer, easier and more pleasant. Ħal Balzan deserves better, it deserves a change for the better - this change can only be brought about by those who always prioritised the environment in its policies: ADPD”, Vella concluded.