Development is in the spotlight. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

The government has taken a conscious decision to bypass Parliament where essential decisions concerning development and land use are concerned, according to Din L-Art Ħelwa.

By removing these elements from the Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development (SPED) and inserting them in local plans instead, the government is trying to ensure that the strategic direction of land use until 2020 will no longer be determined in full transparency by Parliament.

This was previously the case with the Structure Plan of 1990, but will now be determined by a minister alone with a simple stroke of his pen.

“This proposal is one of the most retrograde steps possible, pushing the clock back decades,” the cultural heritage organisation said as it submitted further comments to the government in the consultation period on the SPED, Malta’s principal environment and development plan until 2020.

This proposal will push the clock back decades

Mepa launched the SPED for public consultation in March.

It is a legislative requirement resulting from the Environment and Development Planning Act of 2010 (EDPA). It should replace the policies and plans included in the Structure Plan adopted in 1992.

The EDPA stipulates that the SPED must set out policies on use of land and sea with a justification for each policy and proposal included in the plan. For this reason, Din l-Art Ħelwa said the draft strategic plan is out of line with the EDPA.

The organisation is stressing that decisions which, to date, require the approval of Parliament should continue to be its responsibility.

This can be done either by ensuring the draft SPED be revised radically to include these matters or by providing that the local plans currently being revised be discussed and approved by Parliament.

DLĦ is insisting that in light of the current building over-development, the strategic plan should guarantee to the public that no increases in development zones will be permitted to allocate more land for residential purposes.

It called on Environment Minister Leo Brincat to do his part.

“Mr Brincat should not have accepted that this draft strategic plan be issued for consultation, since in no way can it be described as an adequate SPED. He should have insisted that Mepa go back to the drawing board and publish a proper holistic strategy to regulate the sustainable development of land and sea resources as required.”