Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/791658
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 26 FEBRUARY 2017 26 Letters There will be no public consultation on the Crowne Plaza development that will see six more apartment blocks rising in the heart of Tigné, after MEPA's direc- tor of planning exempted the developers from preparing an impact assessment. The Crowne Plaza Hotel will be rede- veloped into six blocks of 386 apartments and a four-level underground car park, but developer George Muscat will not be required to prepare an environmental planning statement (EPS). It means no public hearing will be held on the environmental impacts of the development, which includes a 16-storey building, bypassing any consultation with neighbours and residents of Tigné. Plans will be submitted to the MEPA board tomorrow Monday, for a decision on Thursday. The final sale of the Crowne Plaza, which is currently under a promise-of- sale agreement, will signify an injection of Lm23.3 million into national airline Air Malta, the previous owner of the hotel. "It is an irresponsible act," Altern- attiva Demokratika chairman Harry Vassallo said yesterday. "A govern- ment that exists to serve contrac- tors, was not satisfied with having a toothless planning authority. We'll have to revert to a way of protest where, once the development is complete, will create a greater eco- nomic impact for the investors." Vassallo added that the action was illegal, and warned that the addition of the Fort Cambridge development, coupled with the Midi development and the Townsquare project in Sliema, and the Hilton and Pender Place project in St Julians, will create major traffic volumes at the Tal-Qroqq roundabout. Tigné is expected to host over 1,300 apartments. MEPA said it had waived the EPS in view of the fact that it had "sufficient information to take a decision" on the ap- plication. It said the potential significant impacts had been identified, along with mitigation measures proposed in the ap- plicants' project description (PDS). The PDS claimed that negative effects from vibrations, air quality, shadows caused by the tall buildings would be minor. The latest traffic system being proposed for the burgeoning commercial develop- ment in Sliema and Tigné will be running from the Sliema front (Ghar-id- Dud) along Qui-Si-Sana, through a one-way tunnel emerging at the Fortina Hotel – diverting traffic away from the current commercial centre on Bisazza Street. That will mean that all traffic from the Sliema ferries will run up the steep and narrow Censu Xerri street, entering gridlock in Tigné. Coordinator for Flimkien Ghal- Ambjent Ahjar, Astrid Vella, said the holding of the MEPA board meeting just days after the final plans are submitted, was in viola- tion of EU directives which state that "reasonable time must be granted to objectors". "It is therefore illegal. The government is making fine pronouncements on its initiatives to curb global warming, and yet actively encourages cancer-inducing traffic in Sliema, with projects like these that directly raise temperatures in the area." News – 25 February, 2007 Send your letters to: The Editor, MaltaToday, MediaToday Ltd. Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 | Fax: (356) 21 385075 E-mail: newsroom@mediatoday.com.mt. Letters to the Editor should be concise. No pen names are accepted. Legal redress to be sought on yachting awards Gozo on the move Reference is made to the report 'Malta Yachting Awards to go ahead after court dismisses "spite- ful" injunction' (MaltaToday.com. mt, 18 February). With regard to the words 'spite- ful injunction' and further on, 'the judge was particularly critical of the fact that plaintiff had been informed that he had not been selected since January, but had waited until the last opportunity to file the injunction', we deem this as incorrect. It was never our intention to act in any vindictive manner whatso- ever. We categorically and vehe- mently deny this. We wish to point out that we acted always under legal advice and guidance, and also within the limits of the law. The fact that the injunction was legally accepted and authorised by the law courts is proof of this. If one were to take account of the facts why such an injunction was made, this was only due to Yacht- ing Malta's intentional and con- tinued procrastination to confirm and clarify what was promised to us on merit. Our company still insists that Yachting Malta did not just steal the idea of the awards from us following several meetings and communication overtures which clearly attest to this fact. It was only after several meetings and following consultation with us, that Yachting Malta changed their course, and opted to organise the event with distinct award catego- ries, exactly how we had advised upon their request, without giving any reason to justify their deci- sions, and despite us having right- fully queried that decision, without any response justifying the actions and behaviour. Indeed, there was "the clear intention" of being selected to organise and market the event, as the hard documents submitted in court demonstrate. Mr Wilfred Buttigieg not only requested us to provide full logisti- cal, equipment, F&B, catering, entertainment, organisational, presentation, promotion, sponsor names and execution of the event. In another email we submitted at the same court sitting, he request- ed, "We will also require a separate marketing campaign through the press and require a specific price for such a campaign including arti- cles and adverts. Kindly advise re: costings for this." On these issues, the company is also reserving its rights on whether to sue on pre- contractual liabilities for irrepa- rable and irredeemable damages, as well as other courses of legal action open to us. At no point during our meetings was the name of Daphne Caruana Galizia ever mentioned, and that during these meetings Mr Butti- gieg was in the presence of Ms Margaret Brincat, and myself. We both categorically deny this and what was maliciously and indeco- rously stated by Mr Buttigieg. Mr Buttigieg is a publicly ac- countable figure, and since in his own words this was a 'public procurement processes', as CEO of Yachting Malta, he is duty bound to be transparent and also furnish bidders with explanations and rectify reasons for any queries, clarify any rejections and ad- dress any other grievances being requested by a bidder. That was not done. MBR Publications never wanted to cause any problems, but always insisted for the truth and hence the reason why we waved the red flag. There was no due diligence done or background checks on the other sole bidder mentioned in Mr Buttigieg's email. We will be seek- ing legal redress to remedy all this, which is in breach of the funda- mental principles of EU law. We have every right to enjoy a level playing ground where such processes are concerned. God for- bid such choices are left in the sole hands of one person. And I stated this in court. Our conscience in this regard is clean. Martin Vella Birkirkara Editorial note: The reporting of court decisions are privileged in the Press Act, and this letter sub- mitted by the plaintiff in the case is not being published as a right of reply. Allegations that could have been defamatory and could cause liability for this newspaper have been edited out of the letter. Reference is made to the article penned by Ryan Mercieca in last Sunday's edition of MaltaToday. The Ministry for Gozo wishes to clarify the following: Recent statistics confirm that unemploy- ment in Gozo has decreased by a third during this legislature. It is currently at a record low. During the PN tenure, unemployment in Gozo was on the rise. Between 2013 and 2015, a total of 1,351 Gozitans became gainfully employed, 1,090 of them in Gozo itself, the huge majority of them within the private sector. During 2012, the last full year of a PN-led government, the GDP of Gozo increased by 1.1%. The Gozi- tan GDP, during 2015, experienced a tenfold growth of 9.6%, a far cry from the stagnation the economy was in during the PN tenure. This government is reversing the negative trend bequeathed to it by successive PN governments, a quarter of a century in which Gozo attracted absolutely no foreign direct investment. The current government has obtained millions in EU funds with which to convert the derelict MMU site in Mgarr Road, Xewkija, into a digital hub, the largest investment in Gozo is about to materialise and will transform the local hospital into a medical hub, and moreover, new companies are opting to open shop in Gozo, the latest being KPMG. A €3.2 million fund intended to lay out a new fibre optic cable between the islands is definitely a step in the right direction, as is the new fast catamaran to be launched in the next months between Gozo and Valletta. Last but not least, tourism and the property sector are once again pumping millions into the Gozitan economy following the slowdown experienced during the last PN government. This is a government which is bringing tangible positive results to Gozo and the Gozitans. Marthese Attard Communications Officer Ministry for Gozo No consultation on Fort Cambridge, MEPA ignores public