Momentum warns Manoel Island padel court recommendation rewards illegal development<\/p>\n
The party Momentum has criticised the Planning Authority case officer’s recommendation to sanction 20 illegally built padel courts on Manoel Island through a €900 fine, arguing that the move rewards illegal development while ignoring thousands of people who supported turning the island into a national park.<\/p>\n
In a statement, Momentum expressed disappointment at the recommendation, with election candidate Matthew Agius warning that the decision sends “a dangerous message.”<\/p>\n
“Once again, this recommendation sends a dangerous message: that certain businessmen in Malta can break planning laws first and request to legalise everything later with a symbolic fine,” Agius said.<\/p>\n
“A €900 penalty is an insult when these padel courts can generate that amount in revenue in a single day,” he added.<\/p>\n
Momentum said that the recommendation disregards the nearly 30,000 people who signed a petition calling for Manoel Island to be transformed into a national park.<\/p>\n
The party also referred to concerns surrounding the Valletta UNESCO buffer zone, light pollution, traffic impacts and the site’s cultural and environmental importance.<\/p>\n
“This is exactly why this election matters. Malta needs real change. We cannot continue accepting a system where illegal development is rewarded, public demands are ignored, and cultural heritage is treated as an obstacle instead of something that deserves to be protected,” Agius said.<\/p>\n
Momentum said it had supported activists campaigning on Manoel Island from the beginning, noting that a protest related to the island was the first demonstration attended by the party following its establishment.<\/p>\n
The party said it believes that public spaces should belong to the public, and not to speculation and backdoor regularisation of illegalities.<\/p>\n
Momentum also encouraged people who signed the Manoel Island petition, as well as those concerned about Malta’s heritage and environment, to “use their vote wisely,” the statement said.<\/p>\n
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