It was a busy weekend for environmental protests last weekend. As tree protesters turned up for a press conference by Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar (FAA) outside the Malta Environment and Planning Authority offices, marchers in the south of the island were out to defend more countryside under threat.

Meanwhile Din l-Art Ħelwa has launched a campaign to save the countryside, with a slogan reminiscent of the struggle faced by the green movement from the 1980s onward.

The birth of the planning authority in 1992 brought a shaft of hope that environmental rules would take hold and be respected by all. Yet today, with an effectively muzzled environment directorate cast adrift (and the minister responsible for ‘sustainable development’ painted as Pontius Pilate) hope has been trampled in the mud.

The stampede for development is on.

Sadly, had Mepa granted a request for a permit to restrict access to the coastal track between Marsascala and Xgħajra we might not be facing the threat of more building outside the development zone in this area.

A permit application to Mepa by the landowner to stop vehicles bringing in material for dumping was refused in 2010. At the time, the planning authority cited the importance of keeping public access along the coast open. The case officer report at the time cited the planning policy which prohibits urban development within rural conservation areas, only allowing developments that are of agricultural, ecological and scenic interest.

Now developers are pointing to the piles of rubble and claiming that the degraded area would benefit from a row of hotels as hard-won policies are being given the boot.

Local residents think it would be a better idea to clean up the site and preserve it as a public open space with bicycle and walking paths.

Activist Joseph Cauchi led a walk up Żonqor Hill past San Anard to what was once the beautiful building known as Id-Dar tas-Soru, now in a sorry state. He has no objection to the development of San Anard as a boutique hotel, which would be an improvement on its present state as a rather dirty cow farm.

But building more tourism infrastructure on land with no existing footprint is seriously crossing the line.

Added to the risk of losing a chunk of remaining unbuilt coastline in the south of Malta we also face more tree-felling in Gozo’s historic urban spaces.

Starting four years ago, an application to do up Independence Square (it-Tokk) in Victoria was met with apprehension by the cultural heritage advisory panel.

Already at that stage, although there was no mention of it in the permit application, the Heritage Advisory Committee sensed that the trees would eventually be targeted for removal:

“The committee is preoccupied that the ficus trees will be removed, therefore this application should be refused.”

It all began with the massive footprint of an application for ‘restoring, upgrading and rehabilitation’ of the walled Citadel.

The project extended to the repaving of the historic winding streets going all the way to Vajringa Street.

In another application it was clear that the main square was also up for redevelopment. The committee was vexed by the fact that its comments were not being taken into consideration.

The committee went on to express concern that the fancy paving designs being proposed would not integrate well. Their comments seem to have been taken note of in subsequent plans for the square although the threat to the trees does not appear to have gone away.

An early proposal insisted that the street furniture was to consist of galvanised steel circular benches around the existing trees in Pjazza Indipendenza, signalling initially that the trees were to remain in place with additional benches in other locations. Over the years there have been a number of enforcement notices issued regarding the placing of tables and chairs by nearby restaurants.

Trees that are an important bird roost, as are the trees in the square, are not popular with car owners who leave their vehicles parked beneath them overnight. Mepa has said it will encourage environmental improvement schemes which pay particular attention to reducing the visual impact of parking.

Added to the risk of losing a chunk of remaining unbuilt coastline in the south of Malta we also face more tree-felling in Gozo’s historic urban spaces

Achieving a better balance between the requirement for parking and the need for attractive public spaces is another planning principle Mepa claims to subscribe to. A square hemmed in on one side, breaking the connection between square and historic surroundings makes it a less attractive public space. Yet these high-sounding principles clash somewhat with the planning authority’s other leaning to improve parking.

The now defunct Environment Protection Directorate (EPD) at the time had strongly objected:

“With respect to the uprooting of the ficus trees in Pjazza Indipendenza it was noted that from an environmental perspective, the trees are over 50 years of age and located within a protected area (UCA, AAI), hence they are protected under Schedule II of the Trees and Woodlands Protection Regulations legal notice 200/11.”

Also, continues the EPD, according to the national environment policy, retention of trees within urban areas as important components which enhance the quality and biodiversity of the urban core should be promoted.

“In this respect the uprooting and removal of these protected trees is not acceptable to the EPD, also since the replacement trees proposed do not adequately compensate for their loss. Only minor corrective pruning is acceptable on site.”

Reference was also made to two previous proposals for interventions on trees on the site namely, NP 0069/10 for the removal of ficus trees (to ensure a holistic assessment, application was withdrawn by EPD since the same request was being considered in this application) and NP122/11 for the pruning of ficus trees (it was concluded that the light corrective pruning of these trees was not deemed to require a permit and it was advised that stronger pruning would require a permit). Despite the above, during the course of works the trees were pruned heavily.

Last weekend, FAA sounded the warning that the trees are not out of danger. Only the previous month the environment group was backing other local groups in the fight against the uprooting of trees in Qala and Nadur. The local council of Nadur assured that some of the trees would be replanted in underground planters as recommended in a report drawn up for and by local councils.

Meanwhile, public access to country paths around Mġarr ix-Xini remains closed despite the promised November 10 deadline. The only way to reach the beach is by turning off the Xewkija-Sannat road as security guards with radios continue to stop anyone trying to walk to the area occupied by the film set by approaching along the coast.

A debate on land reclamation will be held on Friday at 5.30pm at The Palace hotel, Sliema.

www.sbemalta.org