The Mepa board has embarked on a process to schedule the Casa del Gioco Gardens in Balzan.

However, board chairman Franco Montesin told the developer that since he was in possession of a legal permit, he could go ahead with the work according to the permit parameters until the order is published.

Flimkien Ghal-Ambjent Ahjar said earlier this week that in August, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage had written to Mepa about the case, urging the authority to schedule the property.

The Superintendence requested investigations of planning permits on site to establish irregularities or shortcomings.

Today Mepa embarked on the process to schedule the site and issued an emergency conservation order which was communicated to the board dealing with the case.

The developers said that this conflicted with a previous go-ahead they had received on site in addition to their permit of 2007. A heated debate ensued.

The board suspended the decision pending clarification from the Superintendence.

FAA insists that since this is a protected green enclave designated by the local plans which were ratified by Parliament, this site should remain unbuilt as the local plan stipulates.

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