A coalition of seven eNGOs, have called for the resignation from the Planning Authority Board of Perit Deborah Busuttil over details on an application she had submitted for a site in Xaghra.

The eNGOs said that “as anyone who follows Planning Authority cases knows, incorrect submissions are not rare and even when pointed out, as had happened in the Mriehel Towers case, the Planning Boards often approve the application just the same.”

However, they stressed that “this case is much more serious, as Perit Deborah Busuttil, the architect who presented the fallacious streetscape, is actually a member of the Planning Authority Board.”

The eNGOs highlighted that “the flawed streetscape drawings accompanying PA08765/20 showed rooftop rooms (as indicated in red in the drawing) on the houses adjacent to the site in question, where no such rooms exist, in order to justify building higher than the two-storey height prevalent in that area.”They stated that “given that streetscape drawings are instrumental in permitting PA boards to assess applications, and that in this case, the Board voted in favour of Perit Busuttil’s additional floors within the buffer zone of the scheduled Xaghra windmill, the incorrect or false drawing has very serious implications.”

The eNGOs stressed that “the fact that the architect who submitted the grossly incorrect drawings is a member of the board that is supposed to uphold good planning practice and instead rewarded abuse, is a very grave matter.”

For this reason, the eNGOs said that they are reporting the case to the police for investigation and action, while calling for Perit Busuttil’s resignation from the PA Planning Board.

In the light of this happening, the eNGOs said that “all eyes will be on the Planning Authority Board tomorrow, when the case of the Ggantija Heights block of apartments is to be heard.”This application has been recommended for approval, in spite of the fact that the site, within the buffer zone of the Ggantija UNESCO World Heritage Site, “is already mired in controversy and questionable stances on the part of the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage,” the eNGOs said.

The eNGOs also drew attention to the fact that the applicant has also failed to carry out a Heritage Impact Assessment as instructed in a letter by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage on 8 February 2023.

“Such Heritage Impact Assessment is a requirement before taking a decision on development in the buffer zone of World Heritage Sites – Ggantija Temples is a World Heritage Site. This is in according with the Operational Guidelines of the World Heritage Committee,” they said.

The eNGOs explained that “since Malta is a State party to the World Heritage Convention, and benefits from having three World Heritage Sites, including the Neolithic Temples, it is the responsibility of the country to adhere to the World Heritage Committee’s Operational Guidelines, one of which is to carry out a Heritage Impact Assessment in case of developments in the buffer zone prior to granting a development permit.”

The statement was signed by: Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Ramblers’ Association of Malta, Friends of the Earth Malta, Moviment Graffitti, Birdlife Malta, Nature Trust Malta and Ghawdix.

Photos: eNGOs

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