Gudja residents up in arms over car hire’s proposed development: ‘Village is under attack’

Gudja residents are up in arms due to fears that the tranquility of the small locality will soon be lost forever due to the development of garage complexes and offices by controversial car hire company, Smart Car Rentals.

One of the owners of Smart Car Rentals, Gerald Camilleri, is the applicant behind two planning applications in the centre of Gudja. Smart Car Rentals should not be confused with Smarter Car Rentals which is a completely different company with different owners.

In Triq San Pawl, Camilleri plans to demolish two existing garages in order to excavate three storeys and construct private and public service garages at basement levels. The plan also includes the construction of an office on the ground floor as well as four storeys of apartments.

This application raised eyebrows due to the fact that it sits exactly on the border of Gudja’s Urban Conservation Area. In fact, Gudja residents have started a petition against the application. In the petition, the residents note that they had attempted to schedule a meeting with the locality’s mayor, but this was unsuccessful, stating, “We were left with no other means but to create a petition.”

A few metres away in Triq De Warsbergh, Camilleri intends to demolish a two-storey townhouse in order to excavate one basement level “including two public service parking spaces.” The application will also see the construction of four floors that will include more office space, a domestic store and three residential units.

In Triq De Warsbergh, Gerald Camilleri intends to demolish a two-storey townhouse to excavate one basement level and construct four floors that will include more office space, a domestic store and three residential units (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)

The development in Triq De Warsbergh would be the first of its kind in the small street mainly comprising of two-storey townhouses. When this newspaper visited this site, there was no site notice affixed to the property.

Residents who’ve spoken to MaltaToday described the proposed developments as “an attack on Gudja.”

Some residents noted their disbelief towards the fact that the Planning Authority is even considering the applications, given the two streets in question are subject to a resident priority parking scheme, where one would need permission to park their vehicles in the area. They stressed that the introduction of a car hire company in a quiet area will bring about excessive traffic every day and reduce on-street parking.

Residents have also raised concerns about the car-hire company in question due to its bad reputation with clients. Smart Car Rentals has a series of abysmal customer reviews on Tripadvisor, with clients describing the company as “thieves” and “fraudsters.”

The company was even subject to legal proceedings filed by Malta International Airport, prompting the removal of Smart Car Rentals from the airport premises. The issue stems from the reputational damage suffered by the airport due to customers’ horrid experiences with the company.