Planning Authority postpones meeting in row over NGO representative

The planning board suspended its meetings on Thursday due to a row over the appointment of the NGO representative to the board. 

It was set to decide on db Group's controversial application to increase the height of its mega-development in St George's Bay. 

The board's chairman, Emanuel Camilleri, suspended the session, saying it was because "Romano Cassar was not present and his appointment [as the new NGO representative] has not been published in the government gazette yet".

But aJorge Spiteri, who was appointed as the NGO representative in July, insisted that he still held this appointment and had turned up for the session.

Back in July, Spiteri, who works as an architect, was appointed as the new representative by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector, to replace Cassar.

This appointment drew sharp criticism from several environmental NGOs, who described it as a "blatant conflict of interest" due to his job as an architect and civil engineer within the Planning Ministry. But Spiteri denied any conflict of interest.

Following the appointment, last month, the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector held a vote over who should be appointed as an NGO representative, and Cassar won the vote with 26 votes and nine against.

Speaking to Times of Malta, Spiteri confirmed that he received an email from the Permanent Secretary within the Planning Ministry a few days ago informing him that his appointment has been terminated.

But Spiteri insists that, according to the Development Planning Act, the NGO representative can only be terminated following a vote in parliament.

The law states: "The independent members and the member representing the interests of environmental NGOs may resign by letter addressed to the Minister, but may not be removed from office except by a resolution of the House of Representatives on the ground of misconduct or inability to perform the duties of their office."

Therefore, despite receiving the email notifying him that his post had been terminated, he showed up to the Planning Board meeting on Thursday, expecting to act as the NGO representative.

But upon arrival, the board prevented him from assuming this position, as it was recently notified that Cassar was reappointed as the NGO representative.

However, once the meeting started, the chairman announced that Cassar was abroad.

Spiteri opted to join the members of the public and objected, as a member of the public, to the first item on the agenda (PA/02403/14),  an application, filed by Marco Gaffarena, to construct 14 warehouses on ODZ land in Kirkop.

The  Planning Board voted against the item and then took a break but when it returned, the chairman suspended the session.

The board were supposed to vote on a fresh application by db Group to expand its mega-development in St George’s Bay by an additional seven floors.

The company are applying to build 82 more apartments at the mega-development, turning two 17- and 18-storey towers into ones rising 23 and 25 floors, respectively.

The PA had approved plans to build a 17-storey tower and an 18-storey one, alongside a 12-storey hotel at the site in 2021, after initially planning to build a 38-storey tower. The decision was appealed, but a court gave the go-ahead to complete the project last year.

Excavation and construction work at the site began in October 2024. 

Earlier this month, a planning case officer recommended approval of the application, noting that the latest application remains within the permissible Floor Area Ratio of the area.

Following the meeting the PA released a statement stating that the suspension was carried out to ensure that “the process aligns with legal requirements and maintains proper representation of all stakeholders.

”Although the PA insists on aligning with legal requirements, it still took a decision to reject Gaffarena’s application, without an NGO representative, before suspending the session.

The PA further insisted that Spiteri was removed from his post under article 63(4)(a) of the Development Planning Act, which states that a “public officer” cannot be a member of the Planning Board.