Mepa this morning turned down three applications to sanction boathouses or extensions to boathouses in scenic Dwejra, Gozo.
The lawyer representing the applicant of one of the boathouses said his father had added an extra room on the roof of his boathouse at the request of the late Bishop of Gozo, Mgr Nikol Cauchi, to use as a reading room.
One of the boathouse owners said he was requesting the sub-division of his boathouse, as provided for in his father's will. Judge Giovanni Bonello, who is a member of the Mepa board, asked where Mepa stood about the rights of home owners wishing to sub-divide their property among their children.
A Mepa official replied that in this case, this division of this property could not be allowed because it went against rural policy and also against the provisions of the Dwejra management plan, which prohibits any increase in the number of units.
Astrid Vella, representing environmental NGOs Flimkien Ghal-Ambjent Ahjar and Ramblers' Association, vehemently objected to sanctioning, saying no illegalities should be allowed on such sensitive ecological sites. She reminded the Mepa board members that the NGOs had similarly objected to the 'scandalous' 2008 sanctioning of many cases of boathouse abuse.
The authority last also refused five similar applications in the same area last week.
A Mepa spokesan told The Times last week that the Authority would take “comprehensive” direct action with regard to the various illegalities in the scenic and protected Dwejra Bay in Gozo once all the cases were finalised.
“Direct action will be taken comprehensively on the site to ensure that Dwejra comes in line with its action plan,” he said.
Another 13 applications were refused in April 2010.
The requests to sanction ranged from the construction of a limestone wall, as opposed to a rubble one, the addition of an extra storey and extensions to the original structures.
The spokesman said the regulator would have to wait for the statutory 30-day time frame, during which the applicant could appeal. Once this period was up, enforcement action would be taken, the spokesman said.
According to planning policies, any boathouse built or altered after 1965 requires sanctioning and the benchmark used are aerial photos taken in 1957 and site surveys carried out in 1968.
In February 2008, a number of environmental groups had protested loudly against the approval of about 20 applications to sanction illegal structures in Dwejra. Back then, the authority had defended its decision, saying it formed part of a process that went back to 2005 called the Dwejra Heritage Park Action Plan. But, on Thursday, Mr Walker pointed out that sanctioning such illegalities “was not in line with the special area of conservation, scheduled areas and goes against the public interest – especially for Dwejra, which is highly ecologically sensitive.”
Today, Mepa also approved outline development permission for the development of a Life Science Park at San Gwann.
The permit is for the construction of a life science building incubation centre, supporting facilities, an underground car parking facility and landscaping.
The board today also approved an extension to the St Michael Junior School. The extension is to take place on an un-surfaced tract of land currently used as an informal parking space. The board has also approved the construction of a helipad and other ancillary structures at roof top level of Mater Dei Hospital.
Mepa refused an application for the consideration of the upgrading and sanctioning of an existing pig farm which forms part of the Ggantija buffer zone. Back in August 2010, the buffer zone of the Ggantija Complex was scheduled as an important archaeological-sensitive site. The Ggantija Complex is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site.