The Mepa Development Control Commission had accepted a request by Marsascala residents for water tanks, satellite dishes, solar heaters photovoltaic panels and air conditioning units not to be placed in the public area of the roof of an apartment block in Marsascala which is also to serve as a public rooftop garden.

The elevated public garden will be the first of its kind in Malta.

The developers are still awaiting the green light from Mepa for the building of the 29 apartments at the site formerly known as the Etvan Hotel gardens.

A decision on the development was expected to be taken today but was put off after Astrid Vella, on behalf of Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar, insisted that a public garden such as was being proposed on the roof of the apartments, needed an emergency exit The DCC requested the architect to submit fresh plans including a ramp to have another access point to the public garden.

Mepa deferred its approval until the developers’ architect revises the plans to include such an exit.

Residents have, since 1993, been petitioning for the site to be retained as a green area, but the 2006 local plan established that the site could be developed as long as a public garden was built on the roof. An outline permit was granted in 2009.

Residents at this morning’s DCC hearing strongly urged Mepa to carry out a safety assessment of the site because of all the dangers inherent at a site where children would be playing three to four floors up.

The present plan, they said, might not be adequate to ensure full public safety on the site.They also expressed anger at the lack of support from their council, which has failed to take a position about the development.

They said that councillors were all personally informed about the hearing but none chose to attend.