‘Mepa, not FAA’ defending Ramla case

Appeal proceedings over the withdrawn permit for the construction of 23 villas in Ramla l-Ħamra, Gozo, are being heard by a tribunal that is independent from the planning authority, a Mepa spokesman said.

A permit for the redevelopment of Ulysses Lodge was granted in 2007 but was later withdrawn on the grounds that the developer provided incorrect information. The developer filed an appeal that is still pending.

Last week environmental NGO Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar cautioned that the Gozo area was still at risk of development and criticised the Malta Environment and Planning Authority for allowing the appeal to be registered once necessary fees were not paid in full.

Reacting to this, Mepa stressed that the authority was independent from the Planning Review Tribunal that was dealing with the appeal.

After the permit had been revoked in 2007, the applicant had initiated two separate appeal cases: one was declared null by the tribunal on a preliminary plea, and the other appeal was still ongoing, Mepa said. When the proceedings started in front of the tribunal, Mepa’s legal representatives objected to the appeal filed on the very grounds that the appeal fees had not been paid.

The tribunal’s decision not to dismiss the case was based on a legal notice that allowed the payment to be settled within a time limit. The appellant honoured the time limit.

“While the authority appreciates and supports the work carried out by local NGOs, it stresses that it is Mepa’s legal representatives who are defending... the decision taken by the Mepa board to revoke the planning permits on this site against the appellant. Many reports seem to indicate that it is FAA that is defending this case and not Mepa,” the spokesman said.