MEPA stops Lija developments

Thank you Astrid Vella, what an inspiration......

At least they stopped the three storey development. Now they need to ensure the architectural design remains classical and conforms with the essence of Lija.

@ all the bloggers.

We should ask " Where is that Big Guy with BIG HANDS "

We have been promised, Am I correct?

Il MEPA what a fars!!!! Should resigne en bloc.

Toni

I think we should be asking the Minister concerned if the person/s who were initially responsible and issued the Mepa permit and doubling the building height in such a well conserved and beautiful area, is being /will be investigated, as otherwise as soon as this incident dies down, somebody else will be AT IT yet again somewhere else!

So first MEPA officials (who btw are paid a very good salary) issue permit, then some others revoke it and we taxpayers pay for it. And this is happening all under the "Par Idejn Sodi"!!! Ooh I forgot that his mind is on Georgia right now!!

Still at least a mistake was corrected. What will happen to the rubble?

Well this article certainly caused a chain of heated replies. It is a shame that MEPA and the government in general will probably disregard, yet again, the public's total lack of confidence and disgust in MEPA and the puppets running it. The quicker that MEPA can be restructured so that it can be led and run in an efficient and consistent manner, the better off all of Malta will be. Thanks to MEPA large parts of Malta already look like suburban high-rise slums found around Paris and Berlin. For the record, I am still waiting to hear if MEPA has yet done the right thing and overturned the approval for the destruction of a block of houses on Howard St, as well as two beautiful old homes on Adrian Dingli St, Sliema. Come on MEPA, here is an opportunity to do the right thing by yourselves and the rest of Malta!

@ Nenu Aquilina: I'm very happy to tell you that Local Councils are increasingly taking initiatives on behalf of their residents.In addition to Lija,which has just announced an excellent intiative to consult residents in reviewing the Local Plans,I can tell you that FAA has also helped the Sliema and Qala Councils to request a review of their Local Plan.

Qala Council has been on the forefront of protection of residents' rights,with its battle over Hondoq &protection of its valleys against speculation.Xewkija &Xaghra Local Councils continue to fight their battles against the WasteTransferStation and the Ramla Villas project respectively.Attard Council has lobbied for Ta'Fgieni square to remain an open space, while Birzebbugia is taking initiatives on Tal-Papa.

Even Sliema Local Council, previously notorious for supporting developers' interests against those of the residents,has now set up an Environment Sub-Committee and is not leaving a stone unturned to defend residents' rights,appealing against abusive permits and doing its best to control cowboy developers,which is not always possible, considering how support for Local Councils is often sorely lacking.

It is up to us residents to help our Councils and to be vigilant to object to abusive development before Outline permits are issued.

I think the main thing here is that Mepa has issued the conservation order. Better late than never as they say. On those grounds I suppose congratulations are in order. Having said that I'm assuming that the two storey limit will not suddenly gain a wash room on the roof!

What on earth are you all talking about??? Well done MEPA MY B****Y FOOT ! ! ! These idiots can not invent their own laws when it suits them or to cover up their lousy incompetence!! Unless they want to see a long drawn out legal litigation in court no Conservation order can be applied retroactively and it can definitely not change the conditions of an already issued permit . . . UNTIL THAT PERMIT IS REVOKED THE DEVELOPER HAS A LEGAL RIGHT TO BUILD WHAT WAS ALLOWED BY THE PERMIT IN THE FIRST PLACE CONSERVATION ORDER OR NOT . . . MEPA is just trying to avoid admitting that it is totally incompetent and trying to save face and pull the wool over everybody's eyes . . . AS USUAL!!! If it comes to a court case, rest assured that no judge is going to allow a conservation order to be applied to a previously issued permit . . . MEPA should just lap up some of it's own c**p, revoke the permit and admit that the Local Plans are deeply flawed and inadequate and that the permit should not have been issued in the first place!!!

Mr.JohnBorg you're right! I've checked it and I'm shocked to see that this large block actually touches the Church and will definitely form a horrible unsightly massing behind the parish church,ruining the traditional village core view.

Once again this is the fault of the 2006 Local Plans.This is a Polidano/Caqnu development; was it planned before the Local Plans were finalised,one wonders?One of the scores approved just days before the elections.How many coincidences!

The area has a height limitation of 3 floors,but when you add semi-basement &penthouse,it becomes 5floors.

The CaseOfficer recommended approval although this project violates POLICY UCO 10: Developments will not be permitted which adversely affect views OF or from Urban Conservation Areas,OR WHICH DETRACT FROM THE TRADITIONAL URBAN SKYLINE . Particularly important views will be identified in detail in Local Plans.

Sadly this shows how we must all be vigilant,not only about what is happening next door, but what is going on in our towns and villages.We will certainly bring up this issue, but it is much easier to fight a case before a decision has been taken,especially where certain key players are involved.

Are you an objector? Contact us on contact@ambjentahjar.org

Well done Lija Mayor, Lija Local Council, and Lija nice people. This is your victory, today you must feel yourself very proud saving your local treasures!

All Mayors, all Local Councils, all residents in villages and cities around Malta and gozo must copy Lija Mayor, Lija Local Council, and Lija residents!

Ċittadini onesti Maltin be proud of your home village or city! Stand up and don't let anybody to ruin your beloved treasures!

Sinjururi tal-MEPA this is what Maltese and Gozitan onest people wants from you, stop accepting from the begining ones and for all the “Lets take a chance applications”!

Astrid Vella, could you please do something about a permit issued on 26th February 2008 (PA 01828/07) for the building of a five-storey block adjacent to the parish church in the village core of Hal Safi. This monstrosity, consisting of 6 semi-basement maisonettes, 21 apartments; and 4 penthouses, is going to bury the parish church! The MEPA permit was issued with speed on the eve of the election, less than a year after it was submitted! The Board voted 5-1 in favour but requested the architect to submit a block plan showing location of the church in relation to the development. Please help save our parihs church from such a monstrosity!

This is the way I see things: -

Developer - has had his project downsized but he will still earn that profit from the hypotetical third floor due to the penalty due to him by MEPA.

Buyers - namely Magistrate Scerri Herrera will still get her money back plus an extra since she will definetly know her whereabouts in court!!

MEPA - same s*** different day & different project, no one is accountable

Us taxpayers - keep on paying taxes to the government for a dodgy system all together.

This whole saga shows how inadequate the Local Plan process has been. It went on for too long, the consultation period was too short and at the end of the day, it was overshadowed by the sudden sprouting of the Rationalization Schemes. However, once the Local Plans were issued, and a mistake emerged, it would have been proper for a draft Local Plan to have been re-presented. It is true that the law lays down a two year period when a new draft local plan could not have been presented. But it would have been neater for a legislative enactment to have taken place rather than these shenaningans which will have severe financial consequences. It is neither just that someone buys on the understanding that he can develop a property in accordance with the Local Plan but then finds that the parameters have been shifted.

Planning should not be the outcome of public outcries but unfortunately, in Malta, it seems to become increasingly the case. The objective analysis that the Structure Plan had introduced has been thrown out of the window because of political meddling and the ensuing reaction.

I wonder who is going to carry the cost of compensation for this tragi-comic story.

Let us hope that we taxpayers are exempt from paying for the errors (if not corruption) of others. The idiots behind this charade are identifiable.

What about accountability? Who is going to pay for all this mess?? Just you and me??? What about those responsible for the original mess????

This mess was caused by the 2006 Local Plans and highlights the urgency of MEPA reform.This case confirms our point that the 2006 Local Plans along with previous raising of height limitations are as damaging to Malta's towns and villages as the Rationalisations are to the countryside.

However it has to be said that the Local Plans were also handled by Environment Ministry staff &approved by Parliament,so MEPA is not solely responsible.We have come across many highly questionable designations,like this one where the avenue leading up to the Belvedere and parish church should have been included in the Urban Conservation Area(UCA).Other cases where sites where taken out of the UCA 'just happened' to coincide with planned speculative projects.Again I stress we can't just blame MEPA as there were other hands at work.

As regards the DCC decision, these Local Plans are often so damaging that they conflict with conservation priorities,leaving the DCC boards free to rule in favour of 'the most persuasive architect' as it has been put.Sliema risks losing one of its finest houses for exactly the same reason.

Still we should be congratulating,not criticising MEPA for their latest decision to protect Lija's heritage,whatever it takes

What the hell is MEPA doing? Dr Gonzi isn't it high time that you scrap MEPA and start afresh with a new Authority? However MEPA members should be held accountable for their gross negligence and incompetence (or is it!!). Sometimes I wonder.

Is it possible that in this land of ours, we have nobody from authority who does things right in the first place. We have Mepa whose's members are only interested in making easy money, forget the ambiance. For Heaven sake, can we get it right at our first try or are we so stupid. Members of Mepa should know these things and if the Government has balls, it should remove everyone since they are worthless. But then again, we all critise and nothing is done about it as usual. I lost my faith in this country. One thing is true, no official whether government or respective authority have the guts to stop these criminals. We have corruption in courts, parliament, departments, private enterprise, church what's next.

Hearty congratulations to the Lija Mayor Ian Castaldi Paris for doing the right thing and sticking up for the people who voted him into office and for having pride in his town. If only other councils had your courage and determination!

As for MEPA, well ok thanks for doing your job properly.

I get the niggling feeling that permits are issued on a 'take a chance' basis. Sort of "Let's take a chance, if nobody grumbles we would have got more than we wanted, if some spoilsport complains we will have to abide by our own rules."

They have nothing to lose and everything to gain; at our expense.

It seems to me that whenever MEPA does something - anything - it is so shoddy , that after a while and after a lot of complaints, meetings, frustration, etc etc, it has to do a U Turn or at best a patching up job.
The end sufferers : us, the Taxpayers, who are footing the bill for this gross incompetence.
HAMBAQ !!??

Any organization that approves projects and then changes its mind in my dictionary is a Mickey Mouse organization. MEPA fits that label.

Smarten up MEPA!

Well done Mr.Mayor of Lija.This,better late than never,action highlights and validates the power of the people along with the gross ineptitude of MEPA.

Let us say for arguments sake that that MEPA made a mistake when it had issued the permit. So most probably we have to pay compensation from our hard earned money.

When the speculators make a mistake by building over and above the permit issued to them they are made to present fresh plans and are made to pay a paltry sum then they are allowed to sell for thousands of Euro.

So why the MEPA doesn't make tem pay 75% of the selling price?

The middle class moves down to a lower layer while the speculators and people of good know how get richer by the hour.

Who said MEPA was transparent , equitable and fair? So first we issue a conservation order, then a few days before the election permits were issued by the same MEPA (while scores of other dubious permits were being issued and the Mistra Bay saga unfolding) for 3 storey developments, which we now also know were being sold on plan.
Then along come the Lija local council and FAA and, thanks to them they manage to convince the powers that be that hey we have something wrong here!

Well done to the Lija major and NGOs like FAA who raise awareness on such scandals.

Well done MEPA? I don't think so. Should we be congratulating MEPA when it was MEPA who caused this mess in the first place?

The developer will now seek compensation from MEPA - as he is entitled to by law. And it is likely that he will win this claim for compensation. What happens then? It is very likely that MEPA will have to fork out hundreds of thousands of euros (if not millions) in damages...... and ultimitely who's paying for MEPA's upkeep?

It's me and you... the taxpayer. Think about that !

Isn't it time that those board members/officials who took the wrong decision when issuing the permits be held accountable? Isn't it time somebody lost his job? Are board members personally liable for damages? Can the population sue MEPA for incompetence (or worse!)?

Well done MEPA????????? you must be joking -

I fully agree with I. M. Dingli's comments.

At last common sense has prevailed even though one would have expected MEPA to take such a decision from the start. Congratulations to Lija mayor for keeping on battling -- a model to many!

One expects MEPA to have as its top priority the safeguarding of urban fabric of architectural significance if we are to preserve the visual and aesthetic beauty of such historical centres like Lija. A lot has been ruined so now one truly expects responsible and sensitive decisions that respect our culture and our artistic and cultural heritage.

Well done MEPA for taking the right decision! Also thanks and appreciation to the Mayor and all the members of the Lija Local council for pursuing the matter. The unity and dedication of this local council should be a best practice to all the other local councils of Malta and Gozo.

Once again... Well done especially to our hard workin Mayor Dr Ian Ciscaldi ......

Mission accomplished.......

Well Done MEPA !!!!

Finally ..... Lija Avenue is saved....

WELL DONE LIJA LC

Well done MEPA!

Fully agree with P Xuereb.

Talk about closing the stable door after the horse has bolted . . . . what a bugger up!! Conservation Order or not, MEPA has previously issued a valid building permit for the project and the Conservation Order can NOT be applied retrospectively. Legally, the only instrument to stop the development now, once it has a valid permit which was issued prior to the Conservation Order, is a total revokation of the permit itself . . . once again, MEPA has demonstrated it's usual level of competence and is trying to save face!!!!!!

My point is with respect to the order of events and not the final decision. MEPA could have saved us some money by abiding to the original decision of not allowing any developments above the two storeys quota!!

The two permits in question were issued in line with the approved local plans for the area. MEPA realised that even though they were correct in issuing the original permits, the end result would change the nature of this avenue for ever. I assume that it is for this reason that MEPA scheduled this beautiful and unique avenue, thereby reversing the Local Plan policy for the area.

So rather than criticising MEPA, I can only congratulate MEPA for taking this definite measure that will save this avenue.

Well done, MEPA! Correcting a mistake, even if it comes at a cost, is richly worthwhile where the environment is concerned.
Paul Xuereb

So all this means that because of incompetent people within MEPA, the government (ergo tax payers) will have to pay the developer some cash following penalties stipulated within the contract. It is becoming quite a rule of the day that MEPA first approves a project and than after protests, they revoke the permit. Is this logical or what?