Environmental lobby group Din l-Art Ħelwa has raised concerns over the planning authority’s decision to approve a policy for projects outside the development zone.
In a statement, the NGO yesterday accused the Malta Environment and Planning Authority of giving the go-ahead to a policy for developments before the conclusion of a discussion on new planning regulations.
The discussion began within the Parliamentary Committee for Environment and Planning on Wednesday and is being held at the request of the lobby group.
Din l-Art Ħelwa is objecting to a set of planning regulations for construction outside authorized development zones, which it said was being approved in the absence of a Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development (SPED).
However, the planning authority categorically denied the claim, insisting the NGO was attempting to put it in a “bad light”.
A Mepa spokesman said that the planning authority had made the decision on the policy several days before it was informed of the discussion with the parliamentary committee.
It should have waited for the document before approving any new policies
Furthermore, he insisted that the agenda for the discussion had not made any reference to a debate on the links between the SPED and new planning policies.
Meanwhile, the NGO said that, during the meeting, the committee had announced the draft of the new SPED would be finalised and issued for public consultation by the end of February or early March.
It insisted the authority should have waited for the document before approving any new policies
“Din l-Art Ħelwa considers it unacceptable that the Mepa board should disregard and pre-empt this strategic document of national importance by closing public consultation and approving revisions to important planning documents just before the publication of the SPED,” it said.
The organisation said that it had also called on the planning authority, as well as the Parliamentary Secretary for Planning Michael Farrugia, to make a firm commitment that no policies would be approved until the SPED has been finalised.
On its part, the planning authority continued to deny that it had pushed for the ODZ policy’s approval and reminded the public that the policy still needed to be discussed in Parliament.