Court blocks fuel station’s relocation to Gżira garden

Gżira Mayor Conrad Borg Manché has won his legal battle preventing the Lands Authority from enabling a fuel station’s relocation to a public garden

The Appeals Court has confirmed the Administrative Review Tribunal’s ruling which had annulled the Lands Authority’s decision to take back part of the garden.

Judge Lawrence Mintoff slammed the authority, saying it should have abided by “a higher level of transparency, reasonableness and respect for natural justice”.

He said that prior consultation with the Gżira local council should have been “the bare minimum one would have expected” from the Lands Authority.

Some 930sq.m of land from the Council of Europe Garden were set to be given to the owners of a petrol station currently located next to Manoel Island bridge.

The court’s decision does not affect the planning permit, however the fuel station can not be relocated when parts of the garden can not be granted to the owners.

Residents and the Gżira local council have strongly opposed these plans, with Mayor Conrad Borg Manché leading the fight against the public land grab.

Michael Kaden

Michael has worked in media production and journalism for two decades. The owner, editor and presenter of NEWZ is also media producer for local and international newsrooms, and has been creating and designing content for the world's leading broadcasters and entertainment companies.