Environmental organisations Din l-Art Helwa, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Friends of the Earth (Malta) and the Ramblers Association this morning filed a judicial protest calling on Planning Authority board members not to issue permits for high-rise buildings until the law was observed.

The organisations say there is documented proof that the correct procedure had not been followed, and that PA board members are personally and collectively responsible for upholding the law and not helping to circumvent it. 

The PA board will tomorrow decide on permits for two high-rise projects. One application is by Gasan and Tumas Groups for four high-rise towers at Mrieħel, while the other application, also by Gasan, is for the TownSquare development complex in Tigne.

These buildings, the organisations said, would have a huge and long-term impact on the lifestyle of Maltese residents as they would affect traffic congestion, air quality, visual amenity and infrastructure. 

In both cases, they said, the policy governing high-rise buildings was not subject to public consultation as required by law. This was also confirmed by Environment and Planning Commissioner David Pace. The required studies, including a social impact assessment, were not carried out satisfactorily and the Mrieħel site was added by stealth, after the public consultation had closed, they said.

In their protest, the NGOs called on the board members to refuse development proposal which contravened applicable laws and policies.