Anglu Xuereb rails against overdevelopment

About 23 per cent of Malta has been developed - much more than other countries, especially when compared to their size pro rata, Anglu Xuereb, acting leader of Azzjoni Nazzjonali (AN), said yesterday.

Mr Xuereb, himself a major developer, described the situation as "alarming" and said it needed to be addressed seriously by protecting the land that was outside the confines of development.

The Maltese had lost all hope in institutions like the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mepa), Mr Xuereb said, adding that they served only as a front for politicians to hide behind, or as a stamp for decisions that had already been taken behind the country's back.

AN believed no cosmetic changes would be able to win back the confidence of the Maltese, and declared that, if it acquired political power, it would change the laws on development. Land outside development would not be able to be built unless Parliament granted approval, or through a referendum, Mr Xuereb said.

AN believed that Mepa needed to be seriously reformed so that it could carry out its duties without obstacles - with less bureaucracy and more efficiency.

"The experiment whereby the protection of the natural environment and the planning of development were joined had not met its aims."

The authority needed to be divided in two to ensure a balance, he explained, adding the government should reverse its decision to move the Mepa directorate to Hexagon House in Marsa as this would not only mean more bureaucracy and delays in the application process, but also major spending for the Maltese.