Residents, NGOs and three Local Councils welcome the positive news that the permit for the abusive speculation at St George’s Bay by DB Group on the site of the former ITS building has been revoked by the Court of Appeal, in response to a legal challenge filed by them.

The Court of Appeal found that Planning Board member Matthew Pace was in a position of conflict of interest, with his real estate franchise selling parts of the development before the permit was even granted. This led to the Planning Board’s decision of 20th September 2018 to be annulled, and the permit revoked.

This has been a long case, from the first core group meetings with concerned residents, to the public meeting to discuss the way forward with the wider community, to the Planning Board meeting which had to change venue due to the unprecedented interest, and then on to the Environmental and Planning Review Tribunal, where we appealed the Planning Board’s decision, and then to the Court of Appeal.

These challenges were met thanks to the tremendous support shown by people from all over the islands who responded to our call for crowd funding. Without each and every one of their donations, their support, this would not have been possible. This victory is theirs as much as anyone’s.

The residents of Pembroke who, with great courage, spoke truth to power, stood up and made their voice heard, are the real protagonists in this fight. When they saw their quality of life and health threatened, their prospects for a peaceful future buried alive, they did not back down, despite facing very discouraging odds. We also acknowledge the crucial contribution of the three Local Councils – Pembroke Local Council Kunsill Lokali San Ġiljan and Is-Swieqi Local Council – that put aside partisan interests and fought for the wellbeing of their communities

Credit is also due to our legal and architectural team composed of Dr Claire Bonello , Dr Ian Vella Galea and Dr Malcolm Mifsud, and Architects Tara Cassar Carmel Cacopardo and John Ebejer who had their hearts in this campaign from the very beginning. We need more professionals like them.

This legal challenge was filed by:
Three Local Councils: Pembroke, St. Julian’s and Swieqi
Four NGOs: Moviment Graffitti, FAA Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Din l-Art Helwa and Friends of the Earth Malta
Nine residents

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Il-permess tad-DB revokat – il-poplu jista’ jagħmel differenza

Residenti, NGOs u tliet Kunsilli Lokali jilqgħu b’sodisfazzjon l-aħbar pożittiva li l-permess għall-ispekulazzjoni abbużiva ġewwal l-Bajja ta’ San Ġorġ mid-DB Group fuq is-sit ta’ dak li qabel kien il-bini tal-ITS, ġie revokat mill-Qorti tal-Appell, b’reazzjoni għall-azzjoni legali li kienu rreġistraw huma stess.

Il-Qorti tal-Appell sab li Matthew Pace, membru tal-Bord tal-Ippjanar, kellu konflitt ta’ nteress bil-kumpanija tiegħu tal-propjetà tbiegħ partijiet minn dan l-iżvilupp saħansitra qabel ma kien maħruġ il-permess. Dan wassal biex id-deċiżjoni tal-Bord tal-Ippjanar tal-20 ta’ Settembru 2018 tiġi annullata, u l-permess revokat.

Dan kien każ twil, mill-ewwel laqgħat mal-grupp ewlieni tar-residenti konċernati, għal-laqgħa pubblika biex tiġi diskussa mal-komunità d-direzzjoni li se tittieħed, għal-laqgħa tal-Bord tal-Ippjanar fejn kellu jinbidel il-post fejn saret minħabba l-interess qawwi li ntwera fiha mill-poplu, u mbagħad għat-Tribunal tar-Reviżjoni tal-Ambjent u l-Ippjanar, fejn appellajna kontra d-deċiżjoni tal-Bord tal-Ippjanar, u fl-aħħar għall-Qorti tal-Appell.

Dawn l-azzjonijiet legali setgħu jittieħdu grazzi għall-appoġġ tremend li tawna n-nies minn kull rokna tal-gżejjer Maltin li wieġbu għas-sejħa tagħna ta’ crowd funding. Mingħajr kull waħda minn dawn id-donazzjonijiet, dan ma kienx ikun possibbli. Din ir-rebħa hija tagħhom daqs kemm hija ta’ kwalunkwe persuna oħra.

Ir-residenti ta’ Pembroke, li, b’kuraġġ kbir, qamu u semmgħu leħinhom, huma l-vera protagonisti f’din il-ġlieda. Meta raw li saħħithom u l-kwalità tal-ħajja tagħhom kienu mhedda, li l-prospetti għall-futur tagħhom kienu se jiġu midfunin ħajjin, ma ċedewx, minkejja li kienu qed jiffaċċjaw ostakli kbar. Nixtiequ nirrikonoxxu wkoll il-kontribut siewi tat-tliet Kunsilli Lokali – ta’ Pembroke, ta’ San Ġiljan u tas-Swieqi – li warrbu kull interess partiġġjan u ġġieldu għall-benesseri tal-komunitajiet tagħhom.

Ma nistgħux ma nagħtux ukoll il-kreditu mistħoqq lit-tim ta’ avukati u periti magħmul minn Dr Claire Bonello, Dr Ian Vella Galea u Dr Malcolm Mifsud, u l-Periti Tara Cassar, Carmel Cacopardo u John Ebejer, li tefgħu qalbhom f’din il-kampanja mill-bidu nett. Għandna bżonn aktar professjonisti bħalhom.

Din l-azzjoni legali kienet reġistrata minn dawn li ġejjin:
Tliet Kunsilli Lokali – ta’ Pembroke, ta’ San Ġiljan u tas-Swieqi 
Erba’ NGOs: Moviment Graffitti, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar (FAA), Din l-Art Ħelwa u Friends of the Earth Malta
Disa’ residenti