I refer to the article Residents Concerned As Mepa Approves Development In Valley (June 10).

The article highlights the residents’ “surprise” at the Malta Environment and Planning Authority board’s decision for the granting of an outline development permit for the construction of seven detached bungalows at Triq Għajn Żejtuni in Santa Maria Estate in Mellieħa, when, back in December, the board had refused this “same” application.

Mepa would like to clarify and bring to the attention of readers a number of issues that have been wrongly interpreted and reported, namely:

• The original application was for the construction of 13 proposed semi- and fully detached dwellings. This application, although on the same two parcels of land, was re-submitted limiting and significantly downsizing the proposal to seven detached bungalows, one per plot.

• The article mistakenly leaves out the important fact that both parcels of land, which have nearby residences on either side, are and have been within the development boundaries since the early 1960s. Eliminating this fact from the report leads one to believe that the permitted development was granted in an outside development area.

• What is also puzzling is that Sammy Vella, speaking on behalf of the residents with existing properties in Għajn Żejtuna valley, publicly stated that they are not against this development and applauded Mepa for having seriously taken on board their submissions and addressed their concerns. However, at the same time they are also stating that Mepa, especially the environment protection directorate, did not do its work properly and should not be an accomplice.

• The proposed development was carefully scrutinised by both the environment protection directorate and the planning directorate that work in tandem to ensure that holistically any proposed development addresses and satisfies all environmental concerns and adheres to all planning policies. Way back in 2009, the environment protection directorate had worked extensively on the scheduling of this valley, including the designation of two buffer zone areas to further protect the watercourse.

• This development did not qualify for an environment impact assessment as the residents are requesting.

• The Mepa board, as it has done on numerous occasions in the past months, is not in any way shy in dismissing any development proposal which is either a threat to our natural environment, unsustainable, overdeveloped or falls within an outside development zone. This revised proposal met a number of key conditions and concerns which the board and the residents had considered important for the project to be granted a planning permit. These included that:

• the development will be limited to one detached bungalow per plot;

• the integrity and ecology of the scheduled valley and the water course will be fully safeguarded;

• the site would be developed comprehensively and not piecemeal.

• the first buffer zone protecting the scheduled valley will be further extended by an extra two metres all along the site where no development can be carried out, while only swimming pools can be developed in the second buffer zone area.

The Mepa board was fully satisfied and reassured that prior to taking this decision, to grant this outline development permit, there were now enough safeguards to protect the integrity and ecology of the scheduled valley.