Environment and Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino has told Swieqi residents that the massive redevelopment taking place in their once tranquil town not only results in “temporary discomforts” but also “enhances the real estate value of their own property, their own homes”.
Pullicino made these remarks in a four-page letter he sent to Swieqi residents. After reminding residents of the 1980s’ Mintoff and Mifsud Bonnici administrations, and Sant government, and rekindling nostalgia for “the mammoth rallies to keep Catholic schools open”, Pullicino dedicates most of the letter to building development.
It’s a letter of frank admission that overdevelopment is one of the main causes of Nationalist disgruntlement in middle class Swieqi, where council elections were characterised by high abstention rates and the election of an AD councillor.
Pullicino reminds families that the increase in building heights has not only allowed residents to build an extra storey, but indirectly contributed to enhance “the real estate value of their property”.
While hinting at the financial benefits of property speculation, the minister tries to absolve himself from the charge that he is directly responsible for the over-development in what used to be one of Malta’s most tranquil zones. Pullicino reminds residents he is only responsible for three changes in planning regulations since he took up responsibility over planning.
The most radical of these changes was that of allowing three-storey developments to have a penthouse. In his letter Pullicino justifies this measure recalling that “a number of washrooms built on rooms were similar to penthouses.”
The second change introduced by Pullicino was changing five small areas in Swieqi from villa areas to terraced development. A map was attached to the letter identifying these five zones to counter the “impression that substantial villa areas have been rezoned.”
He also boasts of imposing a 120 square-metre limit on re-development to prevent developers from changing large dwellings in to very small units.
He also reminds residents that “many of the redevelopments over the past 10 to 15 years are the result of the drive for more efficient use of land.”
Pullicino also blames the high rate of redevelopment to the fact that old people are moving to smaller apartments or “have used the income generated from the sale of their property to reside in homes for the elderly.”
Still Pullicino acknowledges that redevelopment inevitably causes inconveniences reminding residents that Swieqi is one of the nine localities were new building regulations have come in to force on November 1.

jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt