I have been reading a lot of the comments from people following the disgusting decision by Mepa to approve the outline development application for the redevelopment of Mistra Village. One person accused objectors of being crazy and said that they knew nothing about the project. Well obviously Mepa knows nothing about planning regulations or it would never have been approved.

Mepa’s own FAR regulations specify that tall building projects are not to be allowed on ridges due to the great negative impact on the landscape. In fact Xemxija Hill was used as an example of such a ridge, so why did Mepa once again break their own rules?

Someone else described it as a quality development and said that the developer was protecting the cultural heritage in the vicinity. In what way is the cultural heritage of the area being protected by the construction of what is destined to be an eleven storey concrete slum on top of a ridge?

The owners of outlets in the Xemxija area who are banking on this project to revitalise the area are being extremely short-sighted in not realising that it will simply kill the goose that lays the golden egg, by further contributing to ruining the very landscape that the tourists come over to see, not to mention obliterating heritage including risking the collapse of the unique Underground Flour Mill.

This area has in the region of 9000 empty properties and in its wisdom, MEPA thinks it’s a good idea to build another 868. Let me ask you a question as a tourist and someone that hopes to retire to Malta and would therefore be thinking of buying a property there. Who do you think is going to interested in buying an apartment in the blighted, gridlocked environment that this is going to become? Various reports have shown that Xemxija Hill is already overloaded with traffic and cannot support any increase.

I have personal experience of living in a high rise environment and I can tell you it’s not a nice place to be. Social isolation is a big problem in these environments. When I walk around the villages on Gozo at night I see neighbours sitting outside talking together like they have done for generations. In these high rise slums you would be lucky if you knew who lived opposite! Hopefully those people who are so in favour of this outrage live close enough to it to have their sunlight blocked off. Maybe then they will think differently.

James A. Tyrrell,
5 Lower Cairncastle Road,
Larne, County Antrim,
N. Ireland BT40 1PG

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