Last March, I wrote a letter asking where the long overdue Development Planning Application Report (DPAR) for Ħondoq was.

It is this report, which sums up everything, that is submitted to the Mepa board so they can make their final decision as to whether the proposed development can go ahead there or not.

It should not be a difficult decision considering that the project has been recommended for refusal by numerous bodies, including the Church environment commission, Mepa’s own Environmental Protection Directorate and their Natural Heritage Panel.

Back then, Mepa were already past the 42-week target date they had set themselves in July 2002 (even allowing for the intervening 11 years being valid extensions to that timeframe). It is now eight and a half months further on and still no sign of the report.

In July 2014, an article in it-Torċa was published saying that the DPAR would be issued by the end of summer. In November of that same year, another article in l-Orizzont reported that all the indications were that by the end of the month the DPAR on the project would be finished.

Now, in January 2015, it seems we are still no closer to seeing this report. No valid reason has been forthcoming and, no doubt, any excuse given now for the delay will be the upcoming local elections and the hunting referendum.

Mepa, where are your “values”, which are “rooted in justice” and “manifested in wise and timely decisions?”