Din l-Art Ħelwa needs funds to increase its scrutiny of planning applications and help safeguard and protect the built and natural environment.
The eNGO's Heritage and Environment Protection sub-committee last year filed 1,500 objections, which DLĦ said was a considerable amount considering there were a total of 9,599 applications.
While the list of planning applications is published every week in the Government Gazette, the HEP focuses on those that go against policies or have a substantial impact.
Its objections do not fall on deaf ears – many applications have been recommended for refusal by the PA’s own case officers, the eNGO said in a statement.
"Unfortunately, the Planning Commission, far too often, overturns these recommendations.
“In some cases, the impact of the development would be significant if it went ahead, and therefore merits further action before the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal, with several cases being challenged every month,” architect and sub-committee member Tara Cassar explained.
Apart from the cost, which could be anything from €200 to €1,000, the process for an appeal makes filing an objection seem easy in comparison.
It requires a detailed written appeal, outlining the policies and the legislation on which it is based.
The team will need to attend three or four sittings, where DLĦ has the opportunity to submit the evidence it had in the written appeal – from photomontages to surveys, analysis of the drawings, and an expert affidavit.
“Anything that we feel would help our case… Of course, the other party has an opportunity to rebut DLĦ's appeal and once the final arguments are submitted in writing, these have to again be defended in person. It’s a long process…” she added.
If this is not successful, DLĦ has one more option: to appeal in court.
The court appeal involves numerous sittings but when the DLĦ succeeds and wins, the permit is either revoked or sent back to the tribunal, with all the work that this involves: new submissions have to be drawn up based on the court decision.
The tribunal may then send the whole thing back to the Planning Authority in which case it must take the decision on board.
“When you decide to appeal, you are in it for the long haul. Once you start it, you simply cannot give up.” Cassar said.
“We are not seeing enough of a change at the planning application stage. Many applicants still think it is worth trying, perhaps hoping that we will give up. So many residents do, after all.
“We are getting the decisions that we have been fighting for over a period of years. It is still worth the fight, no matter who we are up against, no matter how much pressure there is against us."
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