The village of Balzan was lately in the news with regard to a proposed development in an established garden in Three Churches Street, in the historic core of the village. The site has already been the subject of various applications.
... the Mepa board itself should decide the application on the basis of approved policy...- Carmel Bezzina, Balzan
The current application requests a renewal of a previous permit approved in July 2006. The Heritage Advisory Committee had then objected to the proposed development on the grounds that the Central Malta Local Plan states that: “Mepa will protect all gardens and open spaces within the urban conservation areas of the three villages of Attard, Balzan and Lija. Mepa will therefore not permit the development of gardens/open spaces that give these three villages their amenity and traditional townscape characteristics into new residential developments”.
Notwithstanding this, the Development Control Commission (DCC) approved the proposed development on July 25, 2006. It is interesting to note that the Central Malta Local Plan was approved by Mepa on July 11, 2006 and formally endorsed by the minister on August 3. Curiously, to say the least, DCC approved the proposed development in the intervening period. The current application was made to renew the latter permit. The new case officer report points out that, since no works had commenced on site, the provisions of the local plan shall prevail rather than the provisions of the approved permit.
The newly constituted Environment Planning Commission, at its deliberation on November 25, 2011, deferred the decision pending a clarification from the Superintendent of Cultural Heritage regarding a proposed emergency conservation order intended to be published by The Malta Environment and Planning Authority. Apparently the conservation order is intended to schedule the adjacent property and designate as a buffer zone part of the garden affected by the application.
Surprisingly it was reported in the press that the chairman of the commission told the applicant that he could proceed with the works in terms of the approved permit pending the issue of the conservation order. My mind really boggles at the logic of this advice.
In my view the Mepa board itself should decide the application on the basis of approved policy rather than leaving the decision in the hands of the commission. A refusal is surely in order!