Residents, activists take government to court over 'zombie' development permits
Kalkara, St Julian’s and Għargħur residents are saying a legal notice allows development of expired permits
Residents of Kalkara, St Julian’s and Għargħur, and activists, have taken the government to court over a legal notice that allows development works to proceed based on expired permits, Moviment Graffitti said on Wednesday.
The NGO said in a statement that over the past few months, residents in various localities were shocked to see developers move in with machinery on sites where there appeared to be no valid development permit, including cases where applications were still pending or had even been withdrawn.
Such was the case in an ODZ valley in Rabat, and in Kalkara, where a green area is under threat from a massive development project. The NGO said it has since transpired that such works were being carried out under a legal notice introduced last year, which not only extended the validity of existing development permits but also revived permits that had expired in 2023 after having been granted many years earlier.
"The full number of expired permits affected by this decision has never been revealed, though it is believed to be substantial.
"As a result, many residents and communities around Malta and Gozo may now face the threat of imminent and destructive development without even knowing it."
In their case, the residents and Moviment Graffitti argue that, under the Development Planning Act, the Minister has no right to revive expired permits.
They contend that works linked to the developments in Kalkara, Għargħur and St Julian’s should therefore not be allowed to proceed, since the permits were illegitimately revived after their expiration.
"The government’s move to create 'zombie permits' is yet another attempt to appease developers at the expense of residents, the environment and quality of life.
"It was a slap in the face to residents who have spent years fighting destructive developments in their localities, only to discover that an underhanded move by the government had overridden their concerns and handed developers exactly what they wanted. However, communities have made it clear that they will continue to fight back."
The plaintiffs are being represented by Claire Bonello.