Mepa must give environmental protection more weight - DLĦ

Din l-Art Ħelwa has welcomed the publication of the Planning Authority Reform Bill but insisted that environmental protection should be given far more weight in development planning.

The environmental NGO said that, notwithstanding the many rules and regulations in place, only good governance and accountability at board level would ensure better results.

The NGO cited the "grave" example of the recent Ta' Baldu report, which was assigned the highest level of protection by Mepa and, yet, the Mepa board still chose to ignore all advice and forge ahead with the granting of permits.

"The reform would still not safeguard against similar bad decisions if the new Mepa boards do not prioritise the urgent need to protect our damaged environment," the NGO said.

Din l-Art Ħelwa praised measures contained in the Bill aimed at streamlining more efficient decision-making and reducing potential conflicts of interest at board level. It also expressed support for measures to curtail the right to apply for the sanctioning of illegal developments in certain areas, saying such prohibition must be extended to as many areas as possible.

The NGO said it favoured the creation of an enforcement directorate because enforcement had long been a weakness at Mepa. It also reiterated its position that areas outside development zone must be strictly monitored for any attempts at illegal building.