Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/989894
10 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 3 JUNE 2018 NEWS ANALYSIS ADRIAN Delia and Joseph Muscat are not keen on taking a stance over the 38-storey tower set to dominate the St George's Bay skyline: Muscat augured for a "compromise" on the project which involves land that was transferred by his government to the DB Group, while Delia says he'll only support the project if it is in line with planning policies. But since their rep- resentatives on the PA board – MPs Clayton Bartolo (PL) and Marthese Portelli (PN) – will eventually have to vote on the project, both parties will have to choose which side to take. The PN's quandary Delia has inherited a party which un- der Simon Busuttil was tilting towards environmental concerns. So, it's no surprise that with a pro-development Muscat, Delia is expected by a segment of vocal PN activists to be critical of projects like the DB's 'City Centre'. Both Busuttil and Karol Aquilina – perceived as internal critics of Delia – were present in a residents' protest against the project. Yet even under Bu- suttil the party sent its own mixed mes- sages. The PN's own environmental conver- sion was itself contradictory in view of the party's past baggage which in- cluded a massive extension of build- ing boundaries carried out in 2006. Busuttil himself experienced cold feet on the Sliema Townsquare project pro- posed by the Gasan family, although the Opposition's representative on the PA board did finally vote against the project along with the PN-led Sliema council. And Busuttil's firmer stance against the way the ITS land was sold to DB only exposed the party to collateral damage after the developers themselves revealed that they were fi- nancing the Nationalist Party. This proved to be one of the greatest pre-electoral blunders as the donation scandal ended up obscuring the land grab under Muscat's government. One can understand Delia's caution on this matter. Delia said on TVM that every project should be determined on the basis of planning rules. "If a project falls within the rules then the answer is yes, if not, the answer is no," he said when asked whether he was in favour of the City Centre project, giving the impression that this is simply another planning issue. But in contrast, the PN's own spokes- person for planning, Marthese Portelli, has called on the government to sus- pend the project pending an ongoing NAO investigation. Delia could well have replied to Reno Bugeja's question on Dissett by saying the same thing. He did not. Under its previous leader the PN had called on the Auditor General to inves- tigate the land transfer. The least the PN can do now is to call on the PA not to decide on this issue before the NAO completes the report. The pros of the 'new way' Delia may have chosen a way of stay- ing out of the fray as Muscat effectively did before the 2013 general election when he rarely opposed pending plan- ning applications, avoiding burning bridges with the business class. This left a leeway for the party's representa- tive on the PA board to vote against the project. Indeed, when speaking in parliament Marthese Portelli has already hinted that the DB project was in breach of the Floor Area Ratio policy and of the local plan. She had previously voted against the Sliema Fortina development citing the fact that the project was not sur- rounded by four roads as required by the policy. This indicates that Portelli will be voting against the project. But in this way the party leader does not need to position himself against major developers, while Portelli can still cite technical reasons to oppose the approval of individual projects. Delia has also avoided taking prema- ture stands, considering that the Prime Minister hinted at a compromise which may see the development scaled down. By taking a detached stance, De- lia may also be mending bridges with business groups without supporting all their expectations. Hotelier Silvio Debono himself was close to previous PN administrations. Understandably, a government-in-waiting cannot be re- duced to the status of an NGO object- ing to any development: this could send the message that the party cannot be trusted with keeping with current rates of economic growth. Delia's Pandora's box By committing himself in favour of any development conforming to policy, Delia has still opened a Pandora's box for his party. What if local plans are revised to change the designation of land for controversial projects like the proposed university campus at Zonqor point? What if the local plan for Pace- ville is changed to accommodate the DB project? He has also put his party representa- tive on the PA board in a quandary: how is Marthese Portelli to vote on projects according to policies which the party has opposed, like that facili- tating the approval of ODZ petrol sta- tions? Portelli's predecessor on the PA board, Ryan Callus, had, in fact, justi- fied his change of heart in favour of ODZ petrol station in Maghtab citing "existing planning policies". The other major problem for Delia is that his silence may be seen as further evidence that he is as compromised with powerful lobbies as Muscat is. Polls show that over-development is one of the emerging concerns of the Maltese people. Along with concern on the increasing number of foreign workers, it is one of the few negatively perceived aspects of Muscat's model of economic growth. Naturally enough, local communities look for political leadership. Will he Why are both Muscat and Delia keen on skirting planning issues like the proposed City Centre development in Pembroke despite widespread opposition to these projects, JAMES DEBONO asks DB's high-rise on St George's exposes sore point for Delia and Muscat Muscat may also have underestimated opposition to mega- projects which impinge on people's daily life in terms of traffic, infrastructure and visual impact Delia inherited a party which under Simon Busuttil was tilting towards environmental concerns, and is expected to be critical of projects like the DB's 'City Centre'. Both Busuttil and Karol Aquilina – perceived as internal critics of Delia – were present in a residents' protest against the project (right, in photo). Yet even under Busuttil the party sent its own mixed messages