The Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) in reply to a statement issued by three environmental NGOs [1] have said that they strongly deny that any new land rationalisation exercise is being carried out.
The Authority is only processing Planning Control applications pertaining to the land that had got included in the 2006 rationalisation exercise that had been approved by Parliament.
These planning control applications designate the height limitation and zoning of these parcels of land that had got included in the 2006 Rationalisation Exercise.
The Authority also said that the accusation put forward by these NGOs ‘that MEPA is becoming less transparent’ is unjust, when these same three NGOs, over the past year have all been given free access to view the plans of all development applications online, have been given a free credit facility to download case officer reports and have regular discussion meetings with the Authority on numerous issues amongst other things.
Adding to this they went on to say, on a suggestion put forward by these NGOs, for greater publicity and awareness on planning applications that fall within an ODZ area, the Authority had also started to feature and make easily accessible all ODZ planning applications received by MEPA separate from those proposed within scheme.
MEPA Chairman Mr Austin Walker said “since I have taken office I have continually worked, through a number of initiatives to bring in a greater level of transparency. I know that the public appreciates our efforts and we will continue to explore avenues that will guarantee greater levels of public participation. We want to win back public trust and remain determined to ensure that this Authority will improve in the areas of participation, efficiency and transparency.”
They concluded by saying that during the past year the Authority also started deciding Development Briefs in open Public Meetings, together with all reconsiderations on scheduled properties. This is all in addition to the fact that all planning applications are available to the public online and all planning and environmental applications are decided in public.