Din l-Art Helwa has called into serious question Mepa’s decision to approve the new outside development zone policy prior to a discussion on the launch of new planning regulations.
The discussion, which was embarked upon yesterday within the Parliamentary Committee for Environment and Development Planning is being held at the request of Din l-Art Helwa that is objecting to new planning regulations being approved in the absence of a new Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development (SPED).
But in a reply this afternoon, the Mepa chairman and board categorically denied the claim and said Din l-Art Helwa's statement was only meant to put the chairman and board in bad light.
Din l-Art Helwa asked the committee to discuss whether adequate procedures were being observed in the launch of new development regulations without the Strategic Plan being concluded, and due studies and information being made available to the public.
During the meeting yesterday, the organisation said, it was announced that the draft of the new SPED will be finalised and issued for public consultation by the end of February or in early March. It goes without saying that the new SPED should guide any new planning policies, Din l-Art Helwa said.
It requested that all the planning policies currently being revised or introduced by the authority should be reissued for public consultation once SPED is made available to the public.
“Din l-Art Helwa considers it unacceptable that the Mepa Board should disregard and preempt this strategic document of national importance, by closing public consultation and approving revisions to important planning documents just before the publication of SPED.
“At this stage, and with the parliamentary discussion underway, Din l-Art Helwa has requested of MEPA, as well as of the Parliamentary Secretary for Planning, Dr Michael Farrugia, to make a firm commitment that no further new or revised planning policies are approved until the SPED has been finalised,” it said.
In a reply the Mepa chairman and board categorically denied they tried to push through the approval of the ODZ policyand said Din l-Art Helwa's statement was only meant to put the chairman and board in bad light.
Mepa said the board agenda for discussing and approving the ODZ policy was issued to members on January 20.
The CEO was notified on January 22 that a Parliamentary Committee meeting for Environment and Development Planning was to be held on January 29.
The Parliamentary Committee's agenda received by the CEO did not make any reference that a discussion was going to be held regarding the relationship between SPED and planning policies, currently being formulated.
It was only during the meeting that correspondence from Din l-Art Helwa addressed to thecommittee chairman was read out.
The authority said that the approved ODZ policy still needed to be discussed by Parliament.