The petition
To: The Prime Minister of Malta
The Chairman, Malta Environment and Planning Authority
We the undersigned, join Members of Parliament from both sides of the House, the Catholic Church Heritage Commission, the Cathedral Chapter, the GRTU, Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Friends of the Earth and the over 1060 registered MEPA objectors in strongly objecting to the St. John’s Foundation proposed project to expand its museum by excavating St. John’s Street and desecrating the Co-Cathedral’s burial ground flanking Merchants Street.
The proposed extension risks damaging the Co-Cathedral’s structure and ignores the damage that the excavation of a quarry in the centre of Valletta will inevitably inflict on Valletta’s unique historic underground tunnel systems, as well as its impact on the fabric of our old capital, its residents, tourists and commercial community. We appeal to the PM to re-allocate the funds allocated for this project to more beneficial and much more urgent projects.
In a time of financial crisis, a costly Environment Impact Assessment and an extravagant project costing €16 million that has no social, restoration or regeneration contribution is not acceptable from a Foundation which is public in nature, being run by both Church and State.
We would support the Foundation were it to propose alternatives which do not involve the desecration of the Co-Cathedral’s burial ground and/or excavating in Valletta.
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