Tuesday 19 March 2024

Joint Press Statement: Communities and NGOs file further lawsuits opposing the db Group project

Residents, NGOs and three Local Councils have filed two lawsuits regarding the db Group project on the ex-ITS site (City Centre Project). The filing of these lawsuits was made possible thanks to the overwhelming public response to a crowdfunding initiative last October, when over €26,000 were raised to cover legal expenses for actions against this project.

As part of the latest raft of legal actions, the appellants are filing in Court an appeal from the recent decision of the Planning Tribunal. Whilst the Tribunal ruled in the appellants’ favour on a number of important points, it also rejected a number of valid arguments which are crucial to the health and wellbeing of the community and the infrastructure’s capacity to support intensive development of this sort. The residents, NGOs and Local Councils are appealing for a transparent and sustainable resolution regarding a number of legal points which are still unresolved.

In addition to the appeal, residents, NGOs and Local Councils have filed an action for judicial review in Court. They stated that the PA’s decision to issue the permit for the db Group project was in breach of Maltese law since the process did not follow the principle of natural justice and relevant legal procedures.

The communities and NGOs involved state: “We are committed to continue fighting this unsustainable and over-intensive project as long as necessary. Projects of this extreme dimension cannot be allowed to engulf whole communities putting an inordinate strain on the infrastructure, whilst being approved far before any rational and long-term measures are ensured. The attitude of ‘Build first and cope with the fall-out later’ must stop”.

The two actions in Court were undertaken by:

  • Three Local Councils: Pembroke, St. Julian’s and Swieqi
  • Four NGOs: Moviment Graffitti, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar (FAA), Din l-Art Ħelwa and Friends of the Earth Malta
  • Nine residents

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