Three environmental NGOs have called on the government and Mepa to stop a land rationalisation exercise launched in 2006 because it is leading to speculation and ruining the countryside.
Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Friends of the Earth and the Ramblers Association insisted that the scheme should be subjected to public consultation and a strategic environmental assessment as demanded by EU law.
In terms of the scheme, pockets of land were added to building zones in a process which the government had said at the time, was meant to eliminate injustices for people whose land fell outside the building zones for no justifiable reason.
The NGOs claimed, however, that the governemnt had bowed to pressures from a number of landowners. Rather than just a few properties sandwiched between built up areas, the scheme had seen large plots designated as building areas, and such plots were now changing hands with increased frequency.
The NGOs also asked how they were having difficulty finding the development applications for the new plots on the Mepa mapping server and said Mepa was becoming less transparent.
The rationalisation exercise involved 62 zones in Malta and Gozo.
MEPA REACTION
Mepa in a reaction to the comments by the NGOs, said that no new land rationalisation exercise was being carried out. The Authority was only processing Planning Control applications pertaining to the land that had got included in the 2006 rationalisation exercise that had been approved by Parliament.
These planning control applications designated the height limitation and zoning of the parcels of land that were included in the 2006 Rationalisation Exercise.
Mepa said the claim that it was becoming less transparent was unfair, especially as these same NGOs, over the past year have all been given free access to view the plans of all development applications online, They had also been given a free credit facility to download case officer reports and had regular discussion meetings with the Authority on numerous issues.
Adding to this, on a suggestion put forward by these NGOs, for greater publicity and awareness on planning applications that fall within an ODZ area, the Authority had also started to feature and make easily accessible all ODZ planning applications received by MEPA separate from those proposed within scheme.
MEPA Chairman Austin Walker said: “Since I took office I have continually worked, through a number of initiatives to bring in a greater level of transparency. I know that the public appreciates our efforts and we will continue to explore avenues that will guarantee greater levels of public participation. We want to win back public trust and remain determined to ensure that this Authority will improve in the areas of participation, efficiency and transparency.”