Mepa chairman Vincent Cassar yesterday. Photo: Matthew MirabelliMepa chairman Vincent Cassar insisted yesterday the planning authority acted correctly and with the greatest transparency in granting the permit for a seven-storey apartment block in Żbibu Lane, San Ġwann.
Dr Cassar was reacting to a press conference held on Saturday where San Ġwann resident and registered objector Stephen Saliba, together with Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, said he lost his right to appeal because Mepa had failed to inform him of its decision.
Mr Saliba said that since he had not received a letter from Mepa informing him that the developer would be served with a “non-executable permit”, he missed the 30-day window within which he had the right to appeal such decision.
Dr Cassar insisted that Mepa had written to Mr Saliba on February 3 and had also uploaded a copy on eApps on the same day.
The decision was reported by the press on February 8.
“When Mr Saliba e-mailed me last week, we sent him a copy of our notification letter and the relevant documents.
“He asked why we had not sent it through registered mail. The law does not oblige us to do so.
“The letter was not returned to us, so he must have received it. The address we have is definitely correct because we have sent him numerous letters, informing him of any changes along the way.”
Mr Saliba complained the copy of the letter Mepa insisted it had sent him looked as if it was drafted on the spot because, unlike past correspondence, it did not bear Mepa’s official letterhead and the document date was erased.
Dr Cassar said that the official letterhead was used in the original letter but it could not be reprinted because the system would automatically have changed the date.
Mr Saliba said he was astounded to hear Mepa did not keep a copy of the original letter.
“The question begs itself: so who signed the letter? I reiterate that, very conveniently, this letter went ‘missing’,” he said.
He noted that the San Ġwann local council had asked to be kept updated as well and it had not received the letter either.
Dr Cassar said the only correspondence exchanged with the local council was in March 2013 when it asked for any development to be kept to a minimum.
The developer, San Ġwann Ltd, consequently submitted a commencement notice to build a seven-storey residential complex (two basements, four floors and a penthouse level) comprising 54 flats, seven penthouses and 77 garages. Work started on July 1.
Mr Saliba and the FAA argued building the mega block would mean demolishing a 200-year-old farmhouse and two 200-year-old rubble walls while smothering archaeological remains of rectangular holes cut into the bedrock.
Dr Cassar said the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage had informed them these features were “archaeologically insignificant”.
However, nearby cart ruts and a World War II shelter would be kept.
Regarding the farmhouse, Mr Saliba said that, in a previous board meeting, the developer and Mepa staff said they did not find the entrance to the shelter.
“I, a simple citizen, did. I took photos and only then did they admit that there indeed was a World War II shelter.
“Having accepted that there is indeed a pristine shelter, they now propose to close it off at one end, rendering it useless.”
A similar attitude was taken with regard to the cart ruts, with Mepa claiming that it was “highly unlikely” of there being any cart ruts, Mr Saliba said.
The farmhouse was far from “dilapidated”, he continued, and the archaeological remains were noted by the Superintendent of Cultural Heritage.