The planning authority’s controversial environment permit for the Freeport to extend its activities on oil rigs maintenance is not in line with the law since it breaches planning requirements, according to Alternattiva Demokratika.
The existing Freeport development permit dealt with the use of facilities as a transhipment base and not as a centre where ships were repaired, AD deputy chairman Carmel Cacopardo said.
For the Freeport to extend its activities to include the maintenance of oil rigs, a new application is required to revise its existing development permit.
His views were echoed by Nationalist Mepa board member Ryan Callus, who voted against the permit. It was still approved by six votes to three – the NGO representative and the two political parties members on the board voted against. The rest of the government-appointees on the board voted in favour.
The Labour Party representative on the Mepa board, Joseph Sammut, who voted against the permit, had contested the last election on the fifth district, which includes Birżebbuġa.
The application was met with strong opposition from the local council, which said that the decision would transform the Freeport into a shipyard.
“When I raised the point at the Mepa meeting that a new development permit is required to extend the activities of the Freeport, we were told by the environment directorate that they sought the advice of the planning division, which indicated there was no such need,” Mr Cacopardo said.
‘You need to follow procedures’
“This is a problem. If you want to change the Freeport’s permitted use, you need to follow normal procedures.”
He also pointed out that the maintenance of oil rigs at the Freeport could not be accepted as being ‘ancillary activities’ as listed in the environment permit.
His misgivings were shared by Mr Callus.
“We are now moving from the transhipment of containers to maintenance. This is a totally different area of operation,” the Nationalist MP said.
This was the second time that the Freeport requested such a permit. It was granted the first time, also under the chairmanship of Vincent Cassar, but it was a specific request for one oil rig.
I voted in favour the last time because we were given assurances that it was a one-off
“I voted in favour the last time because we were given assurances that it was a one-off. Now that this is being repeated, I didn’t feel comfortable voting in favour, especially since I’m informed the maintenance of oil rigs could happen outside the port,” Mr Callus said. Questions on whether this permit was in line with planning policy deserved further legal investigation, he added.
Meanwhile, the PN’s College of Councillors expressed its concern on Mepa’s attitude to local councils, saying the planning authority was repeatedly choosing to ignore their concerns and objections.
“It is completely unacceptable that Mepa steamrolls over legitimate concerns rather than meet its responsibility to consider and address these objections,” the College of Councillors said, referring to the strong objections raised by the local council.
It also referred to the permit that was granted for the berthing of the LNG tanker at Marsaxlokk bay, saying that then too Mepa had ignored all the questions from the technical experts of Marsaxlokk and Birżebbuġa local councils.