Letters | Sunday, 15 March 2009

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Consultation in Sliema

Reference is made to the letter by Patrick Pace (8 March), whereby the Sliema local council candidate spoke about the importance of public consultation within the council.
I fully agree with Mr Pace, and this regard, I would like to state that over the past few years, a culture of public consultation has been introduced in Sliema local council, whereby residents are frequently consulted on various matters relating to the environment, transport, and other areas.
Residents are frequently asked for their opinions on important policy issues. In the years to come, Sliema council can build upon this promising start by also commissioning scientific social impact assessments, survey, and other forms of analysis through which we can better measure people’s perceptions and aspirations on various issues.
In the past few years, a culture of objections to unsustainable development was also introduced in the Sliema local council. The council is frequently supporting residents and NGOs in their objections against development that runs contrary to planning regulations, or is unsustainable. This has increased pressure on Malta’s Environment and Planning Authority, and in certain instances, developments were stopped (Pjazzetta, Chalet, Manwel Dimech Street).
On the other hand, one cannot but lament the lack of consultation with Sliema council by certain Governmental authorities. As regards MEPA itself, the authority has for example ignored the Sliema council’s proposal to have a proper social impact assessment on the controversial Fort Cambridge project, and the same authority only agreed to have an Environmental Impact Assessment following pressure by the EU, after Greens, residents and NGOs raised this issue on a European level.
As Green local councillor since 2003, I am proud to have been involved in various consultation activities by Sliema Local Councillor, and I welcome statements such as Mr Pace’s for further improvements in the coming years.

Michael Briguglio,
Local Councillor (AD), Sliema

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