The insatiable greed of developers aided and abetted by the "PLPN duo" has led to overdevelopment and the destruction of open spaces and fields all over Malta and Gozo, Alternattiva Demokratika said.
Addressing a news conference near the Torri Cumbo in the outskirts of Mosta, AD chairman Carmel Cacopardo said the land where the conference was being held had changed status from outside development zone to inside the scheme.
It measures some 40,500 square metres and around two years ago a Planning Control application had been rejected by the Planning Authority.
But the authority would now consider an application calling for the area to be developed into three-storey buildings with semi-basements, at a height of 17.5 metres above street level.
Mr Cacopardo said he objected to the development on behalf of AD earlier in the week arguing that:
* it was identical to the original application which had been refused;
* the development proposed was very intensive, with too few open spaces;
* the proposal ignored the fact that Mosta cemetery needs to grow and did not take into account the minimum distance required by law for a cemetery to be away from a residential area;
* Torri Cumbo was cultural heritage which required a buffer zone;
* the proposal should be accompanied by justification and rationale as well as details of the social and environmental impacts. The cumulative impact of the developement and of other development in the area should also be assessed.
Mr Cacopardo noted that there was no hint of any impact assessments in the development proposal. There was not even any assessment of impacts in the previous refused application.
This, he said, was not the only area bearing the brunt of the 2006 rationalisation decision in favour of speculators.
Another example was that along Triq Dun Mikiel Xerri in Attard. AD said that unless the Labour Party changed its mind since its 2006 vote against the rationalisation, it should be consistent and take the necessary steps against rampant development and land speculation.