Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1357219
9 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 31 MARCH 2021 NEWS ANALYSIS should always require permits ERA simply rubber-stamped IM's plans instead of using its powers to protect trees which apart from their scientific val- ue, undeniably have a historical and landscape interest in view of their location next to a medi- eval chapel. And this raises another impor- tant question. Is the balance of forces now skewed in favour of infrastructural works? One may well suspect this was all part of the plan when Ian Borg was ap- pointed by Joseph Muscat as his all-powerful planning and in- frastructure minister. It was no surprise when roadworks in San Gwann were commenced in the absence of any planning permit immediately after his appoint- ment. Many hoped the situa- tion would have improved after Aaron Farrugia's appointment as Planning and Environment Minister. But judging from ERA's complicity in the uproot- ing of trees in Dingli, it seems this ministry is still subjugated to the Infrastructure Ministry and is unable or unwilling to take steps to rein in the road building frenzy. Back to the future It would be a mistake to ig- nore how much Malta has changed since 2008 when the legal notice exempting road projects by state bodies from seeking planning permits was introduced. Not only have people become more aware of the importance of the environment in their life but they are also more vig- ilant. Talking to residents in the close-knit Dingli village is instructive: too many of them are convinced that the road- works serve one purpose – that of opening up the area for more building development. That said, one has to recog- nise that infrastructural works are crucial in improving con- nectivity in the island and that most decisions in this sector are bound to be a double-edged sword, sometimes improving residents' quality of life in one area at the cost of the environ- ment in another. So neither should one assume that any road planned by IM is wrong. It is the procedure for approv- al which needs changing from a top-down imposition, to a meaningful consultation mod- erated by urban planners, and not by road builders. One possible solution would be a public consultation exer- cise in each locality where all pending schemed roadworks are reappraised, based on mod- ern realities and the input of environmental and heritage au- thorities. All residents living beside these roads should be invited to town hall meetings where the authorities listen to their con- cerns. In the absence of this, the risk is that a rogue Infrastructure Malta will keep using the tools it inherited from a past Na- tionalist administration to ride roughshod over local commu- nities. And for those busy asking where was MaltaToday when it all started... it was this newspa- per which in 2010 questioned the asphalting of 56 country- side passages between 2005 and 2009 by the Gozo Ministry in the absence of a planning permit. Moviment Graffitti has accused Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg and Infrastructure Malta CEO Fredrick Azzopardi of refusing to meet them regarding controversial roadworks outside the development zones in Dingli. The NGO said two conditions were stipulated, the first being that representatives of farmers and residents should be present; the second that it takes place at a neutral venue and not a "hostile environment such as their offices." "Infrastructure Malta, after refusing to come to Dingli, also refused to meet with the representatives of farmers and residents and us at once. They also refused to hold the meeting in a neutral venue," the NGO said. Moviment Graffitti said a meeting with Borg was also requested through a mediator, however, it was refused. This, the NGO said, was due to him not wanting to discuss their requests. Moviment Graffitti is requesting detailed plans designed on the Local Plan; stopping all works on the road until the issue concerning the expropriation of private land has been resolved with the owners; legal amendments so that roads outlined in ODZ start going through the development's normal application process; amending law on the Planning Tribunal to clarify that NGOs have the right to appeal to the environment and planning authorities' decisions. The NGO said, "despite their reasonable demands", Borg and Azzopardi continue to refuse to discuss them. For the second week, Moviment Graffitti activists continue to protest at the Dingli site in a bid to prevent Infrastructure Malta from constructing a controversial street on ODZ land. Graffitti spokesperson Andre Callus previously accused Infrastructure Malta of building a connecting road between two alleyways without a permit by claiming the local plan allows the road to be built. However, most of the area will be built upon land that is outside development zones. Infrastructure Malta had initially begun works on the road in October 2020 but subsequently, put its construction on hold after residents and activists held a protest. Graffitti: Ian Borg, Infrastructure boss refusing to meet over Dingli impasse