The Strategic Plan for Environment and Development did not refer to health hazards related to fireworks despite available research, the Church said in a scathing critique of the document.
The Church Environment Commission noted that local research on fireworks’ impact on health was already available but the plan made no reference to it. It only referred to the link between health and the environment in issues related to planning.
The new SPED was a far cry from the 1990 Structure Plan it was intended to replace, the commission said. It failed to provide statistical information justifying the policies and proposals put forward.
Mepa launched the SPED for public consultation last March. The strategic plan is required under law to regulate the sustainable management of land and sea resources until 2020. It should replace the policies and plans included in the Structure Plan that was adopted in 1992.
SPED lacks a clear plan of action with clear informed policies
The law stipulates that the SPED must set out policies on use of land and sea together with a justification for each policy and proposal included in the plan.
“SPED lacks a clear plan of action with clear informed policies, set deadlines and an indication of whoever will be responsible for its implementation,” the Church commission said.
It insisted that the management of environmental resources and sustainable development should be undertaken by the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development.
The commission said it failed to see valid reasons justifying the “minor adjustments” to the development zone boundaries proposed by the plan when the supply of dwelling units was much greater than demand.
“SPED proposes no tangible and strict policies to control the unsustainability of local land development,” the commission said.
While the commission welcomed the general principles of a national spatial strategy, it said it had “strong reservations” about the proviso made in the same section allowing the government to bypass established policies.
The commission urged government “to learn from past experiences and use SPED, and any review of planning legislation, to remove ambiguous and ill-advised regulations and policies that have allowed individuals and organisations to profit from resultant loopholes”.
It reiterated that for transparency’s sake, the names of all those responsible in the compilation of such documents should be mentioned.
“The sensitivity of documents like SPED cannot be underestimated since what is written in them will directly affect what happens on the ground. The plan, in its current version, falls short of guaranteeing a solid step in practising sustainable development at this level,” the commission said.
Consultation on the SPED closed on Friday, June 20.