The Mepa board has voted to withdraw the last permit granted to Victor Scerri for an extension to a farmhouse in Bahrija. Only one board member voted against the revocation.

The original permit for a reconstruction of a dilapidated farmhouse. issued in 2002. is still valid but the Environmental Protection Department has also asked for the impact of this application to be mitigated.

The board heard submissions by the head of the Environmental Protection Department Martin Seychell. The EPD reached its conclusion that the site where the farmhouse is to be built necessitated a screening process since in its opinion the extension would have a negative impact on the ecology of the site. In view of this, it recommended that article 39A should be invoked and the last permit withdrawn since the screening process was not performed.

Mepa board heard lawyer Franco Vassallo make submissions on behalf of applicant. He wanted to know who should have been responsible for recommending the screening process since this at no time had been suggested by any of Mepa’s case officers.