Ramla developers given time to file proper application

An Appeals Board today gave developers up to July to file a duly-filled planning control application in connection with their proposal to build 23 villas with pools overlooking Ramla Bay in Gozo.

The board was hearing the appeal filed by the developers, who are protesting over the rescinding of a permit issued to them.

The permit had been withdrawn by Mepa after it found that incorrect information had been given by the developers since part of the footprint of the proposed project would be on land which is public, not private.

The developers said that while they were not contesting that part of the land belonged to the government, they had submitted a planning control application to change the designation of this piece of land.

The Mepa lawyer replied that no such application had been submitted.

The developers said the land was only registered by the government when their case came up.

Representatives of two environment NGOs, Save Ramla and Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar (FAA) contested the claim, saying the land was registered well before that.

The Appeals Board said it was giving the developers more time to meet Mepa requirements.

It said the developers had up to July to get the signatures of the owners of this land and submit a planning control application. Failure to do this would nullify the appeal.

The NGOs' representatives complained about the fact that the hearing was continuing despite the fact that the developers had, when the appeal started, only paid a fraction of the fees. 

The NGOs on Tuesday also launched a fund-raising campaign to fund their appeal.

See http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110411/local/ramla.359370