Two environmentalists have categorically denied allegations made against them by former Nationalist Party president Victor Scerri who claimed they had tried to develop green areas in the past.

Ramblers' Association president Lino Bugeja and Astrid Vella, from Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar, reacted separately to comments made by Dr Scerri on the talk show Xarabank last Friday.

The programme, aired on TVM, discussed Dr Scerri's resignation as PN president sparked off by a controversy over a farmhouse he was constructing in Baħrija.

A permit for the farmhouse extension was deemed to be illegal as an environment screening process had been ignored. However, the original building permit for the farmhouse remained

valid because it was granted before the screening process was introduced. During the programme, Dr Scerri lashed out at Mr Bugeja and Ms Vella who had spoken out strongly against the Baħrija development, which is in an environmentally sensitive area.

He said Mr Bugeja owned property in an outside development zone, in the limits of Marsascala, while Ms Vella had submitted an application to construct a pool in a green area in Gozo.

The allegations were denied in two separate statements. Mr Bugeja said he had bought half a tumolo of land over 40 years ago and never filed a planning application to develop it.

Ms Vella defended herself saying that 11 years ago she had applied to build a pool that was a little larger than a Jacuzzi on a 20-foot-wide terrace that was within the building line.

The permit was refused as the planning authority mistakenly labelled the terrace, which was near a field, as being in an outside-development zone.

She respected the decision and the property has since been sold.

"Not only was the pool applied for within the building line but the site is not a sensitive, protected area, so much so that a subsequent applicant was automatically granted a permit for two pools in the field below," she said.