Momentum has declared strong opposition to the proposed development in Ħaż-Żabbar, stating that residents are justified in feeling “angry and frustrated.” The party said the case reflects what is happening in many Maltese localities, where village identity is being lost “piece by piece,” leaving communities questioning how matters reached this point.
Executive member Matthew Agius said the situation is the result of political choices made in 2013 and 2017, when policies were introduced that allowed hotels and elderly homes to add two extra floors “wherever they are located,” including in sensitive urban areas. He argued that these changes “opened the door to the excessive construction that is negatively impacting people’s quality of life.”
Agius noted the “irony” of two MPs—Carmelo Abela and Edward Zammit Lewis—opposing such extensions today, despite having supported them when they formed part of the governments that introduced them. He added that Minister Clyde Caruana and MEP Alex Agius Saliba have also acknowledged the harm caused by these policies.
Momentum is proposing terraced upper floors to reduce visual impact, along with better design solutions for exposed blank walls. It is also calling for a full public consultation and for all related applications to be paused until new policies are established.
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