A group of Marsascala residents are claiming victory after a Mepa Development Control Commission (DCC) board meeting last Tuesday decided to postpone the consideration of a proposed development of a block of 29 apartments and 50-car garage on a public site currently being used as a private beach club by the Etvan Hotel.

The DCC requested the developer to present fresh plans to tackle several issues raised during the meeting.

The residents are strongly objecting to the proposed development - PA/1289/09 - claiming that the site involved was one of the last few remaining public open spaces in Marsascala.

The group said the area was zoned as a 'green area' whereby no development was allowed.

The group pointed out that an illegal boundary wall had been built on the site of the proposed development, which is at present subject to an enforcement order. It said that despite this, Mepa had still issued an outline permit for the development.

The residents claimed that Mepa was forbidden from approving a permit when there was an illegality on any part of a proposed development site. For this reason, it said the DCC had already declared its intention to refuse the permit. Furthermore, the residents claimed their rights to consultation as established by the relevant EU directive and the Aarhus Convention were violated.

A petition with more than 500 residents who were against the project was presented during the DCC meeting.

Architect Carmel Cacopardo, representing the residents, argued that the proposed development did not conform with the established area policies of the South Malta Local Plan of 2006 and the height of the project had to be restricted.

The meeting was also attended by the developers and their architect, as well as by Astrid Vella of Flimkien Ambjent Aħjar, who also spoke on behalf of the residents.