Malta should freeze all high-rise applications for a two-year period, independent candidate Arnold Cassola believes, to give the country time to better plan for the future. 

Cassola, who is running on the 10th and 11th districts, made the proposal during a Saturday press conference held in St Julian’s.  

The area, he said, has been assaulted by developers under successive governments, with massive, unsustainable projects choking the skyline and leaving residents in their shadows. 

Arnold Cassola is running as an independent on districts 10 and 11.

Cassola said that overdevelopment is a national problem, but one that is magnified in districts such as the 10th.  While activist pressure has led to some significant victories in the area, such as a decision to cancel a tourist ferry dock in Balluta Bay, massive development continues to overwhelm the area, he said. 

Such projects brought massive noise and dust pollution, damaged neighbouring properties and impinged on residents’ ability to install solar panels on their roofs, he noted. 

“It is clear that time and time again, the environment and the rights of ordinary citizens play second fiddle to wealthy developers, like Joseph Portelli, who publicly and openly boast that they finance the main political parties, ” Cassola said. 

Portelli is one of Malta’s biggest and most powerful developers. His Mercury Tower in St Julian’s is set to become Malta’s tallest building once completed. 

“It should seem clear to all that despite changes in governments, changes in regulatory authorities and the introduction of new environment authorities, the situation has not improved, rather it has become much worse,” Cassola said. 

The only way for people to put a stop to this abuse was by ignoring candidates from the two major parties and instead voting for independent and third party candidates, Cassola said. 

Such candidates “have walked the talk in favour of the environment throughout their lives, are not in the pockets of the developers and have the will and the credibility to protect the environment and the rights of residents through concrete and direct action,” he added.