Updated at 8.55am with video 

A group of activists set up tents outside the Planning Authority's main office in Floriana on Thursday morning and said they would camp there in protest until at least Sunday, in a symbolic siege against planners' lethargy. 

Activists are angry that a promised fuel stations policy revision, which has been on the cards for more than a year, has not yet been published.

The group of about 25 set up tents outside the PA driveway, holding banners, chanting and banging drums. 

The authority barred the gate and PA security officials kept an eye on activists from the other side of the gate.

Activists have pitched their tents.

Four uniformed police officers arrived at around 8.15am and asked protesters to ensure employees could still access the building, but did not otherwise intervene. Protestors also briefly moved their tents to allow employees to remove their cars from an internal car park. 

At one point, security guards came out with water and coffee but the activists refused them.

PA board chairman Vince Cassar and other board members, as well as other executive chairman Johann Buttigieg, walked past protestors without stopping as they arrived for scheduled board hearings.

The board hearings - none of which were related to fuel stations - went ahead as scheduled at 10am, with no acknowledgement of the protests going on outside.

Addressing journalists, representatives of the activists demanded that the controversial fuel stations policy should be changed to rule out new or relocated stations immediately, as recommended by ERA, that the revised policy should be published immediately for consultation and that the final policy should be implemented after consultation without delay.

Malta is 'under siege'

Graffitti spokesman Andre Callus, who is among the protesters, said Malta was "under siege".

"Fuel stations are a symbol of this," he told Times of Malta. "What can be more senseless than 3,000 square metre developments mushrooming all over the countryside?"

"We have been waiting for this policy for a year and four months. [PA executive chairman] Johann Buttigieg said last November the policy was imminent, [planning minister] Ian Borg said the same last week and [environment minister] Jose Herrera this week, but we are still waiting."

"We don't want to have to carry out these actions but we are ready to keep going as long as is necessary."

Earlier this week, Dr Herrera has admitted to a lack of agreement with Dr Borg over the prospect of fuel stations continuing to be built outside development zones.

The controversial 2015 policy allows fuel stations to ‘relocate’ from urban cores to up to 3,000 square metres of ODZ land. A revision announced in January 2018, intended to reduce the burden on agricultural land, has not yet been completed.

Proposals issued last April by the ERA, within Dr Herrera’s remit, included a complete ban on all new and relocated fuel stations on ODZ sites, but Dr Borg suggested last month that the ban may be applied only to new facilities.

'Malta under siege from the PA and speculators', a banner reads.

Chants and banners outside the PA offices.

'PA siege: why all these fuel pumps?' the banner reads.