Sign the petition to protect Pembroke: No more destruction of public land

Momentum supports the call by Pembroke residents to protect the remaining undeveloped public land in Pembroke and welcomes the petition currently before Parliament calling for the land to remain protected for present and future generations.

More than 500 people have already signed the petition, which calls on Parliament and Government to reverse the transfer of the land 

Momentum believes that Malta cannot continue treating every remaining open space as an opportunity for development. In one of the most densely developed countries in Europe, undeveloped public land is a finite and irreplaceable national asset. The fact that the proposed area was marked for development years ago, should not stop the government from adding it to the already existing Natura2000 site. It is not cast in stone that public land should be destroyed to build flats or a stadium as some of those in favour of the sports facilities have asserted. The government can easily opt to leave public land as it is.

Momentum has proposed a clear alternative: the former Marsa power station site.

Natasha Azzopardi, executive member of Momentum said “The former power station provides an opportunity to deliver much-needed sport facilities without sacrificing another area of virgin public land. Instead of building on undeveloped land in Pembroke, an abandoned site could be regenerated into a modern sports complex and become part of the wider regeneration of the Valletta Grand Harbour area.”

Momentum believes that the choice should not be presented as a false one between providing sports facilities and protecting the environment. We can do both. By using the former Marsa power station site, the government can invest in modern multi-sport facilities while protecting Pembroke’s remaining natural land.

Azzopardi added, “The proposed development in Pembroke needs proper consideration not only in terms of the project itself, but also of its impact on Pembroke and neighbouring communities, traffic, noise and light pollution, schools, childcare facilities, vulnerable people and the surrounding environment.”

The proximity of the site to a Natura 2000 protected area also demands the highest level of environmental scrutiny.

Momentum urges Parliament and the government to listen to this growing public concern, consider the alternative proposed by Momentum, and choose regeneration over further destruction of Malta’s remaining natural land.

We can build the facilities we need without destroying the land we cannot replace.

Link to sign the parliamentery petition: https://parlament.mt/en/petition?id=352

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