Mosta residents urge Mepa to halt development in valley

The permit to build 24 apartments and 26 garages in Wied il-Għasel, Mosta, has raised the ire of residents and environmental associations that have called on the planning authority to stop the development.

In February, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority gave the green light to the project on a plot on one side of Wied il-Għasel. The application was originally refused in 2007. However, it was re-submitted, approved and immediately appealed.

The residents said the development was situated in an area listed as a nature reserve within the World Database on Protected Areas managed by the United Nations Environment Programme and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. In addition, the area was classified as a Category III National Monument because of the traditional rubble hut (the girna) and rubble walls.

In their quest, the residents are backed by NGOs Ħarsien Patrimonju Mosti, Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar, Nature Trust and several MEP candidates. Ħarsien Patrimonju Mosti called on the authority to intervene by issuing an emergency conservation order to safeguard the area. A meeting was held last night between residents and the local council to discuss the matter.

Nationalist MEP hopeful Alan Deidun said yesterday the authorities should revoke the permit for the construction of the apartments under article 39 A (1) of the Development Planning Act. The law had already been invoked to revoke permits in the case of two controversial projects: the outline permit for the controversial outdoor disco in Mistra and for the Ramla l-Ħamra development in Gozo.

The article allows the authority to change or revoke a permit on grounds of fraud, public safety or "where there is an error on the face of the record which offends the law".

Dr Deidun argued that the permit should be revoked because the developer did not indicate the girna in his plans. In addition, no development notice was displayed on site, as required by law, he said.

Twenty-four residents took an affidavit and declared the notice was never displayed or only exhibited until the relative photograph (for the authority's website) was taken and then removed immediately after.