NGOs and Mosta residents yesterday staged a peaceful rally against the development of apartments and garages in Wied il-Għasel.
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Ħarsien Patrimonju Mosti, Ramblers Association and Nature Trust insisted that although in 2002 the planning authority had proposed that the line of development should retreat to protect the valley, seven years later it issued a permit for the development of 26 apartments and garages.
The Malta Environment and Planning Authority had designated part of the footprint as a “site of scientific importance”.
An appeal is being heard by Mepa, with the next hearing due in September, but in the meantime, development can go ahead at the developer’s risk. If the case is decided against him, he would have to reverse the development; however, the damage done to the valley could never be undone, thosepresent insisted.
They added that although the site had been protected for years, rubble walls had been demolished while a girna (stone corbelled hut) and a number of trees were under threat.
Astrid Vella, from FAA, pointed out that not only was reversing the development next to impossible, there was also no guarantee that the case would be closed in September.
She added the permit was flawed as although the outline development permit had been submitted for an old people’s home, the full development permit was for flats.
Joseph Azzopardi from Ħarsien Patrimonju Mosti said the site was also listed as a nature reserve by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which placed it in category three, reserved for natural monuments and nature reserve protected areas managed mainly for conservation of specific natural features.
Joe Abilla from the same NGO has lived in the area for the past 54 years. “I’ve grown up in this valley and this is a major blow to us residents. I used to spend my free time roaming Wied il-Għasel,” he said looking out into the distance over the valley.
Several people attended the rally carrying placards against the proposed development and the “destruction of Wied il-Għasel”. Leaflets were also handed out.
One of these referred to a Mepa regulation, structure plan policy RCO 29, which reads: “No new physical development will normally be allowed on the sides of valleys and especially on valley watercourses except for constructions aimed at preventing soil erosion and the conservation management of water resources.”
Alex Vella, from the Ramblers Association, said there was a frenzied attack on valleys, including Baħrija, Għajn Żejtuna and Inċita among others, for development in spite of Mepa’s clear policies to protect them.
Such development, he said, was turning valleys into water canals. Mr Vella said Mepa insisted the cleaning of valleys destroyed endemic flora and fauna. This was hypocritical, he insisted, adding that Mepa’s reform was just a cosmetic one.
Architect Carmel Cacopardo, representing the objectors, asked why more apartments were being built, when there were 76,000 vacant places.
Anton Cuschieri, from Ħarsien Patrimonju Mosti, said there were 26 sworn statements showing residents never saw the issued development permits, and therefore could not analyse them.
“This case stinks from beginning to end,” he insisted.