Former Planning Authority chairman Austin Walker still believes his decision to refuse an application to extend the Portomaso complex was the best one, even though it was overturned by an appeals tribunal.
In April last year Mr Walker had used his casting vote to reject plans for 46 luxury bungalows and a car park built around an artificial lagoon in the Portomaso complex.
However, two days ago the tribunal revoked this decision and granted the permit for this project, which will be spread over an area of about 7,500 square metres, adjacent to the complex.
The tribunal upheld the argument made by Ray Fenech of Tumas Group that a clause against further extension in the original permit, granted in 1990s, had been superseded by the local plan.
Contacted by Times of Malta, the former Mepa chairman said he had no further reaction to the fact that planning authority board’s decision had been overturned.
“I am still convinced that the board had reached the best possible decision but I have nothing to add,” Mr Walker said.
He said the decision had been a tough one as the board was split, adding that prior to his chairmanship, the casting vote had only been used once.
“As much as we were convinced that we should turn down the application, the appeals board was convinced otherwise and had every right to grant the permit,” he said.
The decision to give the green light to further development along the densely populated St Julian’s coast fuelled further criticism by environmental groups, who ahead of this decision had already announced their intention to hold a protest march to raise awareness on the “tragic” state of the planning authority at the end of the month.
Flimkien Għall-Ambjent Aħjar said the appeals tribunal decision was yet more proof that the abusive 2006 local plans had caused untold damage to Malta’s urban planning and environment.
FAA maintained Mepa had not revoked the original permit conditions imposing protection of the site and a veto on any further development on this footprint, and so they could not have been nullified by the subsequent local plans, as the developer had claimed.
I am still convinced that the board had reached the best possible decision
It added that this site was one of only two places on the island where the protected Wedgefoot Grass was to be found. FAA said the fact that this protected species disappeared from the site proved Mepa did not have the resources to enforce the permit conditions.
FAA also noted that excluding the legal objectors or NGOs during the appeal process had proved that Mepa was heavily skewed towards developers.
Nature Trust president Vince Attard expressed his concern about the manner in which Mepa was granting development applications, adding that the country was being transformed into a “concrete jungle”.
“We feel we are moving a step backwards when it comes to environmental protection” Mr Attard said.
He said regardless of the legal arguments, the bottom line was further development would impact heavily on the coast’s ecology.
“At this rate we will end up with buildings protruding right onto the water,” he remarked.
Din l-Art Ħelwa president Simone Mizzi said this decision meant that St Julian’s residents were going to lose “yet another open space” in an area which was already densely populated.