MLP urges caution on development zones

Labour Party's environment spokesmen Joe Brincat and Roderick Galdes yesterday urged caution over the extension of development zones.

Environment Minister George Pullicino last week announced that the Cabinet had established criteria under which development boundaries drawn up in 1988 will be adjusted.

Dr Brincat and Mr Galdes questioned how the Cabinet drew up the criteria, which will be used by Mepa to decide on the enlargement of development zones.

"It is worrying that the Cabinet is interfering in the planning process," the spokesmen said.

They said the State of the Environment Report, published by the govern-ment recently, showed that 23 per cent of the Maltese islands were built up and the report described this as alarming.

They said the government had been against the extension of the development zones and questioned why it was now going against its own policies.