The government has decided to expropriate a site where Mepa recently issued a planning permit for a villa, metres away from Mġarr’s Ta’ Haġrat temples.
The Sunday Times of Malta had reported that the government was seeking legal advice on how to proceed to block the permit and compensate the owners of the land.
Objections to the proposed development were first raised by environment NGO Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar.
The Opposition then filed a motion urging the expropriation of the land and compensation for the owners.
The contested permit was for a villa development of 867 square metres on a plot inside the buffer zone surrounding the temples.
The land had been included in the development zone for Mġarr during the so-called rationalisation exercise which took place in 2006. Then, in 2009, Mepa refused a permit, partly on the grounds that the villa would be too close to the temples. However, the permit was issued in September 2013 and confirmed by the planning appeals board.
In its decision, the authority said the permit was in line with existing planning policies.
PN, NGOS WELCOME DECISION
The environment NGOs Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Ramblers Malta and Friends of the Earth Malta welcomed the government announcement.
In a statement, they said they hoped this was a first step that would lead the government to withdraw two proposed policies that would weaken the preservation of Malta’s heritage. The first would allow the sanctioning of illegal developments at built or natural scheduled (protected) sites. The second provides that the scheduling of heritage buildings will be reviewed every 10 years, putting these at risk of being demolished in favour of yet more apartments.
The eNGOs also urged the authorities to enact legislation to further strengthen the buffer zones of scheduled natural and cultural sites.
Given the shabby state of the approach to the Ta’ Hagrat Temples, the NGOs urged the government to turn the expropriated properties into a public open space worthy of such an important UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar thanked the 2300 people who supported this cause and signed a petition calling for the immediate withdrawal of this disputed permit.
The development was also welcomed by the Nationalist Party which said the government's move followed its presentation of a Parliamentary motion with which it showed that it was a constructive party that was taking initiatives for a better Malta even from the Opposition benches.