In some cases( and this certainly rings true locally) it is being feared that these land sales are really an excuse to help speculators to develop in previously protected areas.Besides the White Rocks issue where the process is being roundly criticised locally by the P.L.,Lino Spiteri and others, there is land in Sliema which Maltastar featured in a leader called "The gardens of Malta going going gone" which sources tell us changed from protected to less protected site around the time of last election in 2008. The Sliema Residents Association are campaigning to stop a massive development of around 25 blocks in this area which was previously zoned as protected.