FAA welcomes Mepa’s ‘change in mentality’

Environmental lobby group Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar has praised what it described as “a changing mentality” at the planning authority which it said was showing a greater sensitivity to urban and heritage protection.

In a statement, the FAA listed a number of applications on which Mepa resisted pressure and gave them the thumbs down. These included the application to extend the St Augustine School in the garden of a scheduled Guardamangia villa, an application to build residences in a development zone in Qala but which bordered a major water catchment area, and an application to demolish a house in Sacred Heart Avenue, St Julians, one of a row of five certified to be excellent examples of colonial architecture.

The organisation said the changing mentality at Mepa stood out when the building of a seven-storey block of shops and 21 apartments at Spinola Bay, St Julians was discussed earlier last week.

It said that although Mepa’s Major Projects Unit had recommended this project in a three-storey Urban Conservation area for approval, the Mepa board deferred the decision due to pending permits for the felling of trees in the Villa Fieres garden and other issues.

FAA urged Mepa “to go the extra mile and fulfil best planning practice” by commissioning an Environment Impact Assessment to assess the best possible option for the Spinola area where five major projects were planned to take place.