Institutionalised vandalism
Published on The Times of Malta on Tuesday 9th October, 2007 by Martin Scicluna.
The paramount environmental challenge facing Malta is the need to control construction development and the way we use and share this tiny land. This is the root cause of our environmental deficit. The impact of excessive land use aggravates all our other environmental problems, as well as undermining our vital tourism industry.
Yet, the regulatory authority, Mepa, to which we should look to exercise control and protection, has become an intrinsic part of the problem. In many instances, Mepa's perverse decisions have added to the overall picture of institutionalised vandalism. How else can one describe its decisions on Ramla l-Hamra, Fort Cambridge in Sliema and Pender Place in St Julians, to name but the most prominent? (I make no reference to Ta' Cenc or Hondoq ir-Rummien, where the structure plan may be about to be flouted, as these are still under consideration.)
At Ramla l-Hamra, Mepa gave a permit in an area of outstanding natural beauty that lies outside the development zone - in the face of the clear undertaking by the Minister for the Environment, following last year's controversial extension of the development boundaries, that no further development outside the permitted zoning would under any circumstances be allowed. Mepa justified this decision on the most specious grounds.
This is part of the article. To view it all go to http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=3856&hilite=hondoq
The paramount environmental challenge facing Malta is the need to control construction development and the way we use and share this tiny land. This is the root cause of our environmental deficit. The impact of excessive land use aggravates all our other environmental problems, as well as undermining our vital tourism industry.
Yet, the regulatory authority, Mepa, to which we should look to exercise control and protection, has become an intrinsic part of the problem. In many instances, Mepa's perverse decisions have added to the overall picture of institutionalised vandalism. How else can one describe its decisions on Ramla l-Hamra, Fort Cambridge in Sliema and Pender Place in St Julians, to name but the most prominent? (I make no reference to Ta' Cenc or Hondoq ir-Rummien, where the structure plan may be about to be flouted, as these are still under consideration.)
At Ramla l-Hamra, Mepa gave a permit in an area of outstanding natural beauty that lies outside the development zone - in the face of the clear undertaking by the Minister for the Environment, following last year's controversial extension of the development boundaries, that no further development outside the permitted zoning would under any circumstances be allowed. Mepa justified this decision on the most specious grounds.
This is part of the article. To view it all go to http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=3856&hilite=hondoq
posted by Hondoq at
8:07 PM
