Updated 8pm with PN statement below
At least three of the five members of the Dingli local council, which this week backed controversial plans to build a road through fields and ODZ land, work for infrastructure authorities, Times of Malta is informed.
This week, activists, residents and farmers stopped Infrastructure Malta works in Daħla tas-Sienja to build a road that will connect the alley to San Ġwann Bosco Street.
The proposed road drew environmental protests back in October 2020, but on Monday IM said it was going ahead with the construction of the schemed street after the Environment and Planning Tribunal turned down an appeal against a permit for the uprooting of trees.
Since then, three Dingli residents filed a judicial protest against Moviment Graffitti, arguing that the activist group was acting “abusively, clandestinely and against the express wishes of residents” when its activists stopped the works.
But nearly 200 Dingli residents signed a Graffitti petition against the building of the road.
The Salesians of Don Bosco have also referred to the construction of the new road as “a major loss of their private property”.
The property, they said, was still in the process of being expropriated and the compensation due had never been discussed and not yet received.
They had never been consulted about “the remaining carob tree area which is also their property, nor are there any planned projects relating to this private property,” they said in a statement.
The Dingli local council meanwhile said in a statement that while it would be presenting plans that would reduce the number of trees to be uprooted, the road-building had a valid legal basis dating back to the 2006 local plans.
Times of Malta is informed that deputy mayor Sandro Azzopardi and councillor Paul Mamo work for the Infrastructure Ministry, while councillor David Vassallo heads an Infrastructure Malta unit.
Dingli Mayor Raymond Schembri was asked whether he was concerned about conflict of interest of the majority of the councillors, considering that the local council this week expressed itself in favour of the new road.
He told Times of Malta that before a meeting in which the council had discussed the new roads in October of last year, only one councillor – Ryan Tanti – had declared a conflict of interest and did not participate in the debate and vote. It is the duty of every individual to declare any personal conflict of interest, he added.
IM 'accepts' residents' requests
On Thursday, IM said it was “accepting” seven requests by families on one of the impacted roads.
These include confirmation that land next to the new schemed road would not be earmarked for development, that no more carob trees will be uprooted to build the new road, that the new road’s width will be limited to eight metres, the corner of this new road will be adjusted to save a nearby tree, traditional rubble walls will be erected instead of limestone walls in San Ġwann Bosco Street and more indigenous trees will be planted along the side of the new road.
IM discussed these requests with the authorities concerned and is taking all of them on board and pledged to add at least 12 more mature indigenous trees in this area.
In his correspondence with the residents’ representatives, IM’s CEO Fredrick Azzopardi said the agency had, over the past months, met representatives of all streets and areas around the new schemed road.
“We appreciate that whilst they would have preferred not to have the 2006 schemed road built in their area, families living in San Ġwann Bosco are understanding that residents in other streets, including Daħla tas-Sienja Street and Il-MUSUEM Alley, have long been calling on the authorities to form this new connection, as confirmed by the Dingli council’s decision earlier this week,” he said.
IM added that it had reached expropriation agreements with impacted land-owners.
Written agreements had been signed by the owners and were in line with expropriation regulations.
“This means that the allegation that IM carried out works in private property without owners’ permission is in fact a lie. These owners will be duly compensated in line with the valuations that have already been determined by the Lands Authority and communicated to them, as per applicable procedures.”
'Arrogant' Infrastructure Malta started works without expropriating land
In a statement, the Nationalist Party regretted that Infrastructure Malta had 'arrogantly' started the works on the new road without even expropriating the private land from the farmers,
The party said that while infrastructural works are necessary in the country, they should be carried out with full respect for the environment, in consultation with farmers, neighbours and other interested parties, and in observance of the laws.