The Malta Chamber of Planners augurs that with the new demerger both planning and environmental protection are given the importance they deserve.
While the chamber has its reservations on the recently approved planning legislation, particularly with regard to the composition and functions of the executive council, it strongly appeals to the two new authorities to be real champions in ensuring that they genuinely push forward the responsibilities their respective agencies have been entrusted with in the new legislations.
Unfortunately, the demerger has sparked arguments mainly relating to a weakening in environmental protection as a result of this demerger.
The previous set-up prior to the demerger was also marred with a negative record in terms of environmental protection, as well as proper planning.
Therefore, the chamber reiterates that proper planning and environmental protection, which are closely linked and are interdependent, will successfully prevail depending on the individuals entrusted with the decision-making in both authorities, as well as strengthening environmental management and planning skills in other public and private agencies.
While the new authorities are specifically entrusted with such responsibilities, nonetheless, environmental protection and proper planning will succeed if these are ingrained in every government policy and action, and are equally and genuinely present in the private sector’s development goals.
This is the basis of the concept of sustainability, a term much abused in the past and which nowadays is hardly mentioned or which is only given lip service when mentioned. Should these two organisations adopt a mentality that compromises are to be sought between developers on one side and planning and environmental protection on the other, then both authorities’ mission is bound to fail.
There should be no compromises where proper planning and environmental protection is concerned
The chamber expresses its disagreement with Vince Cassar’s comment (April 5) where he stated: “My work will be geared towards ensuring that we can achieve the necessary compromises between developers and environmentalists to protect our common heritage and truly prioritise sustainable development.”
There should be no compromises where proper planning and environmental protection is concerned. Through this statement the Planning Board chairman is explicitly stating that the Planning Authority will seek a compromise between the wishes of developers and environmental protection.
The Planning Authority is there to ensure proper planning first and foremost, which is essential for environmental protection. Seeking compromises, as has been stated by the chairman, has shown in the past that at the end it is the developers that gain.
The environment and society in general will only lose if the authority gives in to spurious development speculation, trends and fashions, without embarking on a focused long-term vision for our local communities and changing demographies.
The Malta Chamber of Planners has always sought to push for proper planning.
Unfortunately, governments, although indicating commitment towards planning, in their aim to lessen bureaucracy, have taken measures that completely disrupted the planning system and favoured developers.
The failure of this system is clear each day, particularly with regard to the pressure on the infrastructure resulting from increased traffic, over-development, urbanisation of rural areas, commer-cialisation of residential areas, as well as the defacing of traditional village cores or urban conservation areas.
The chamber is very sceptical with regard to the ‘expedited procedure’ (summary procedure application) being introduced, whereby development planning applications which would seem to conform to policy are decided by the chairperson of the Planning Board or his delegate (it is not clear whether this delegate can also be the case officer), and not in a public hearing.
In principle these tools work solely if those who apply them maintain a high level of integrity and transparency that society expects from public officers, but, regrettably, in the past, such initiatives have been abused and resulted in dubious decisions.
Recent revisions to policies, especially the SPED, are rather vague and open to wide interpretation. Hence, the application of such vague policies will lead to inconsistencies and subjective decisions resulting in development that may impact negatively on the surrounding area and residents.
This can only lead to indiscriminate development rather than proper planning with the end result being a lesser quality environment for the local population, let alone achieving sustainable development.
In conclusion the chamber would like to appeal to the officials involved in the new authorities to keep in mind the vision statements of both authorities when carrying out their duties such that Malta and Gozo really do become a more pleasant and desirable place to live in while safeguarding the environment for a sustainable quality of life for all.
Anthony Ellul is general secretary of the Malta Chamber of Planners.