More than 600 Xgħajra residents and property owners have signed a letter to the Planning Authority declaring their “unequivocal opposition” to proposed three high-rise towers on the town’s seafront. The letter was supported by a further 204 individuals, environment NGOs Moviment Graffitti and Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar said on Wednesday.

The plans are for three 15-storey towers to be built just outside SmartCity, with 14 retail outlets, 153 apartments, nine penthouses, 206 garages and 158 parking spaces.

The NGOs said 610 residents felt compelled to send their letter after the local council, led by mayor Neil Attard, performed "an incomprehensible U-turn" behind their back and withdrew the council’s objection to the project through a letter “secretly submitted” to the PA.

While a majority of council members backed “this bizarre decision”, two, including the deputy mayor, have now signed the letter of objection prepared and submitted by the residents.

The residents’ submission lists the numerous concerns related to the project’s impact on Xgħajra and beyond.

The NGOs said the development jarred with the context of the quiet, sea-side village. It would also see the building of hundreds of new residential apartments, leading to an overnight unsustainable increase in the population of the locality as well as pressures that the current infrastructure cannot handle.

Developers’ promises of a “plaza” next to the towers were meaningless for a locality that already enjoyed ample open spaces and spaces of natural beauty.

Moreover, the justification of the project in terms of the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) policy “is highly dubious” since the proposed high-rise seems to breach multiple provisions of the policy.

The Environment and Resources Authority and the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage have already expressed an unfavourable view of the development.

The residents concluded their letter by appealing to the authorities and the developers to ensure that any development in the area respects the people of Xgħajra and its natural and built environment.

Moviment Graffitti and Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar said they are supporting the residents’ demands.