On the subject of the development that is being carried out at Bahrija, in spite of highest levels of conservation accorded to the valley by the Mepa itself, The Ramblers’ Association has had ongoing exchanges with the Chairman of Mepa concerning the validity of the other permits that have been issued. The most recent of these exchanges was handed to the Chairman of Mepa on Thursday.

The Ramblers’ Assoication also sent copies of the letter to the Prime Minister, Dr Lawrence Gonzi, and to Minister of Resources and Rural Affairs, George Pullicino.

A copy of the letter is shown below:

The Chairman,

Malta Environment & Planning Authority,

Floriana

Your ref: CPA/APUN/683/94

Sir,

Reference is made to your email and letter dated 18th December 2009.

We regret to point out that you have not treated all the points that we have raised, while some other answers given are not satisfactory. We will return to you on the matters raised, and other important information gathered since, after legal advice has been finalised.

In the meantime we again request that works at Bahrija be stopped on the grounds that the Hon George Pullicino, in his official and declared capacity as the Minister responsible for Mepa, knowingly or unknowingly, misguided all interested parties and civil society on the Bahrija area when he declared publicly on the Times of the 4th June 2005:

“The organisations were, however, reacting to false information that may have been given out by landowners. As the minister responsible for planning and as a Maltese citizen, I am confident that the planning system is sufficiently robust to provide important counryside areas such as Bahrija and Fomm ir-Rih adequate protection from insensitive development. In any case, up to now not even an outline application for development has been submitted to Mepa.”

The Hon George Pullicino issued this declaration after three of the relative applications had already been approved in Bahrija to just one single applicant. It follows that the Hon Minister either never sought information from, or else was given incorrect information by, Mepa. Otherwise the Hon Minister was knowingly concealing these applications, and thereby making a false declaration.

We consider that the above statement alone, uttered by none other than the highest authority, in his declared capacity “as the Minister responsible for planning,” provides sufficient grounds to render invalid all permits issued for the Bahrija area before that date, and thus calls for the annulment of all permits and the immediate suspension of works.

Thus I kindly request you once more to move to the revocation of all permits under section 39A of the Development Planning Act.

Alex Vella

Hon Secretary

cc

The Prime Minister

The Minister of Rural Affairs

Permalink: Ramblers question the morality of Minister over Bahrija