The Manoel Island project will be detrimental to the health of Gżira residents, independent MP and doctor Godfrey Farrugia has claimed, arguing that the site should be turned into a park.

Dr Farrugia outlined his objections in a health impact assessment he compiled, which he submitted to the Planning Authority as part of a public consultation process on the first phase of this project by the Midi consortium.

The consortium had been granted a 99-year lease of Manoel Island in 2000 as part of a plan to transform the prime site into a luxury resort. Under the plan, Midi wants to construct 600 flats, a hotel, shops and yacht marina. In return, it is bound to restore Fort Manoel and turn the surrounding glacis into a public park.

Godfrey Farrugia

Despite a petition endorsed by thousands of objectors who fear this will result in overdevelopment, the Planning Authority last March issued a preliminary (outline) permit, which included a masterplan for the entire project.  

Midi CEO Mark Portelli recently told Times of Malta, that the public would be better served if the project goes ahead, rather than leaving the site in its current abandoned state.

Meanwhile, Midi has filed various development applications, each covering a different aspect of the project to be able to start works. 

One of the main health hazards is the increase in toxic car emissions

Dr Farrugia filed his objections with respect to an application to construct the first two residential blocks whose height will be exceeding four storeys.

In his submissions, which relate to the entire project and not just this phase, the MP notes that the development would “suffocate” even more the densely-populated locality of Gżira.

He also makes the point that, regardless of the project, the area had already borne the brunt of maladministration and bad governance in terms of urban planning, as it was allowed to morph into a “glorified traffic island”.

Consequently, one of the main health hazards cited by Dr Farrugia is the increase in toxic car emissions. While no real-time air monitoring is carried out in Gżira, he notes that results from a nearby station in Msida confirm that emission limits are occasionally being exceeded.

With traffic on the rise, such incidents would happen more often, he warned.

Dr Farrugia also pointed out that the project would result in the expansion of the Manoel Island yacht yard, which will move closer to the Gżira front as part of it will be relocated on reclaimed land. Consequently, it will also contribute to added pollution.

Another concern raised was the plan to widen the Manoel Island bridge to allow marine traffic. This would be an additional source of emissions to residents as the MP also warned that children were the ones mostly at risk.

Residents should not be subjected to more risks, Dr Farrugia noted, given that they already had an increased mortality rate compared to other localities.

In his conclusion, the MP says the project not only failed to address existing health inequalities of Gżira residents, but was exploiting the already impoverished infrastructure of the locality.

While noting that the PA had a social responsibility to protect the residents’ health, he said that the way forward was to turn Manoel Island into a public park.