Wednesday, 29th October 2008 - 16:26CET

Sliema tree gets a reprieve

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority has reprieved an old araucaria tree in Manwel Dimech Street, Sliema, which risked the chop to make way for an apartment block.

The environment NGO Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar, which had protested about the plans earlier this week, welcomed the MEPA ruling, saying it was "another sensible decision taken by the MEPA DCC C board".

FAA pointed out that the commission refused this permit as it considered that the proposed development was too deep and intruded on back gardens.

"Although the Ministry of Resources and Rural Affairs has already granted a permit for the felling of this tree, this pause would give the developer the opportunity to accommodate the tree in his new plans as has been done very successfully in other projects," the FAA said.

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Article © Allied Newspapers Ltd., printed on Sunday, November 22, 2009. This article is for personal use only, and should not be distributed.

Comments

Ray Sultana (on 29/10/08)

A wise decision. Mepa has done the right thing.

I hope that Mepa continues to appreciate the value of trees and gardens.

j borg (on 29/10/08)

the issue on which the board decided was not the tree but the depth of the proposed buildings!! The tree is only temporary saved until the next round. It was clear that the agricultural department and teh NHAC gave their green light for its removal.

lesley kreupl (on 29/10/08)

Great news. It just goes to show that if enough people make the effort to object to things which are basically wrong, victories can be easily achieved! If the developer has a good/genuine architect (few and far between here) he or she should be able to create a building which incorporates the tree so it can continued to be enjoyed. Well done FAA to bring this to our attention!

John Schembri (on 29/10/08)

I don't want to sound sarcastic , but isn't this a disincentive to plant such trees in one's property?

Gavril Flores (on 29/10/08)

Dear developer, Feel free to plant it in Fgura... we need it!

J.Bonnici (on 29/10/08)

A sensible decision indeed. Maybe we're finally starting to appreciate the value of trees.

Paul Balzan (on 29/10/08)

Some trees have all the luck!