Civil society groups opposed to a Planning Authority decision to build towers in Pembroke have launched a crowdfunding campaign to finance appeals against the db Group project.
The crowdfunding campaign is being led by 11 NGOs that have led the charge against the City Centre project, which was approved by the PA board in a narrow 4-3 vote on Thursday. Objectors have signalled their intention to appeal that decision.
Five of the PA’s board members sat out Thursday’s hearing, announcing their recusal moments before the application came up for discussion.
Four of those - PA chairman Vince Cassar, Environmental Resources Authority chairman Victor Asciak, Joseph Brincat and NGO representative Annick Bonello – were part of the PA board that had originally approved the db Group project in 2018.
A fifth board member, Chris Cilia, recused himself over a potential professional conflict.
PA defends recusal advice and notification
In a statement, the PA defended the last-minute nature of the recusal decisions, saying that they “could only be made public on the day of the first board hearing during which the board was able to inform the parties involved and the public prior to the commencement of the public meeting.”
A PA spokesperson was unable to comment further.
The PA acknowledged that the four board members involved in the previous db Group decision had been given legal advice advising them to steer clear of the vote, citing the 2018 court judgement concerning the original decision.
Judge Mark Chetcuti had found that one of the board members who voted in favour of the project, Matthew Pace, could have had a financial interest in having it approved.
In its statement, the PA said that the judge had in his ruling advising other board members to carefully consider their position when the application came up for decision once again.
“So as not to create a potential disregard of Judge Chetcuti’s statement, the Board members took a conscientious decision not to attend the meeting,” the PA said.
Six NGOs that opposed the project have said that the NGO representative on the PA board was only given the legal advice to recuse herself at the last minute and had no opportunity to seek her own legal advice before the vote.
Crowdfunding campaign
The db Group intends to build two towers of 18 and 17 storeys, as well as a 12-storey hotel, at the Pembroke site that previously hosted the Institute of Tourism Studies.
Thousands of objectors, including local councils, residents and activists, have said that the giant development will tower over residential properties, disturb historical sites and upset fragile ecosystems in the area.
Applicants have argued that plans were altered following complaints, to satisfy objectors.
In their statement announcing a crowdfunding campaign, the 11 NGOs noted that legal actions against such projects cost large sums of money that could only be sustained by civil society groups with the backing of public contributions.
“We are now determined to continue fighting this monstrosity by mounting further legal actions against this threat to our quality of life and our environment,” they said.
Donations can be made online or via bank transfer to the following account:
BOV
Name: Moviment Graffitti
IBAN: MT27VALL22013000000011799516027