6 comments so far.AD calls on MEPA Board to refuse the Hondoq development
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Alternattiva Demokratika – The Green Party urged the MEPA Board to endorse the recommendations of the Environment Planning Directorate and refuse the proposed development at Hondoq ir-Rummien, Gozo.
Michael Briguglio, AD Chairperson, said, “We expect the MEPA Board to refuse the proposed development of a yacht marina and tourist village in Hondoq ir-Rummien, and thus close the issue once and for all. Such development will ruin the bay and cause severe environmental damage. Together with NGOs and Moviment Harsien Hondoq, Alternattiva Demokratika is the only political party which has been opposing the development ever since it was proposed. Our objections are now being endorsed by the Environment Planning Directorate, which we welcome. We also welcome proposals to embellish the beach and the area for the benefit of the general public.”
I agree fully with AD on this matter. If MEPA go against this decision by the Environment Planning Directorate then the question would have to be raised regarding what point there was in having such a Directorate within MEPA. People have been enjoying Hondoq for generations and hopefully will continue to do so for many more generations. To that end I feel that not only should any such application be refused but the area must be granted protection so that the matter never comes up again.
There are some people for and against improving Hondoq, personally in my opinion as a modern person and one who moves on with the times, i reckon that Hondoq should be developed, thus improving the road leading to Hondoq, a possible hotel for the tourists and visiters alike and also improving the bay itself in general, last but not least reducing traffic to and from commino to the area where people swim, not forgetting employment for the many youngsters who are unemployed in Gozo who have to travel to Malta for work in all kinds of weather, others will differ but then again its their prerogative, and eveyone is entitled to express their opinion for the good of Gozo.
With all due respect Salvinu cast your mind back to the time last year when the fossil bed at Dwejra was used as a dump. It took a big clean-up operation to clear away the majority of the quarry waste that was dumped there and from what I heard the guys involved did a good job in very hot weather although the area is still not back to the way it was and never will be because of the damage caused. The point is you would think that they could have used some of the local Gozitan unemployed to do the clean-up but instead they brought workers across from Malta. If any development was to take place at Hondoq it wouldn’t guarantee a single job for a local.
I agree with you that the road could do with improving but if all you are doing is providing easier access for the rich to get to their boats in their private marina what benefit would that be to local people. Look at the number of empty properties on Gozo and then ask yourself why developers want to build more. As for a hotel if the island needs a hotel why have they been closing down?
This proposed development is all about making rich people richer Salvinu and not about improving the lot of the ordinary Gozitan.
@ Salvinu
You stated that there are some people for and against .
Let me tell you that from what I have been following this last 4 years for sure ,there are a LOT much more people against than for it .THAT`S A FACT`
.All you have to do is to see ,letters on newspapers .comments on blogs and also check with Mepa how many registered objectors were against and how many were for.
Salvinu Those people that are for it need to know facts of what happened here in Gozo especially promises that were made before an application was approved and then all those promises all went up in SMOKE.
I will give you an example just in case you might have forgot,Chambray,Mgarr hotel,now being built as FLATS, Kempinski,Andar Hotel,and so much more that if you live here in Gozo I am sure that you know about all of them
Salvinu the latest being Zewwieqa now a gate has been erected and no one can go ,even the new owners of the marina have banned swimming over there and literally people from Ghajnsielem that used to go there have shifted to Hondoq.
Now can you tell me where all these people are going if Hondoq is ruined?
Salvinu if you are a modern person and you might be young, do ask middle aged people and your parents how much empty promises were promised at the begining of esch project and after everything ALL went up in SMOKE
Well said Salvinu.
Hondoq should never gave been allowed to be sold to Speculators. And why do ODZ zones are subject to be considered for development? This is a real joke. Either an area is ODZ or not. Shame on the way local politics are conducted on Malta. It always was who you knew that counted.