Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1363129
8 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 18 APRIL 2021 INTERVIEW 'We can't go on like this' In a recent press release, en- vironmental NGOs - including FAA – raised the alarm over a 300% increase in construction and development in Gozo: ar- guing that this "is the result of the present climate where developers are emboldened by the 'elasticisation of planning policies'." Can you elaborate on that? How have Malta's planning policies been manip- ulated, to permit development on such a large scale? There are two aspects that are currently compounding the sit- uation. On the one hand, there is the sheer number and size of permits that are now being churned out on an unprece- dented scale; and on the other, there is the cumulative impact of all this construction on the environment, and our overall quality of life. Let's start with the numbers. Basically, there has been a huge increase in the number of per- mits – not just in Gozo; though it has been more pronounced there - due to the speculative momentum fuelled by this gov- ernment. And this is utterly un- sustainable. When you come to a point when even the Chamber of Architects itself is publicly de- claring that 'we cannot go on like this'… you know that the situation is extremely serious. Here we have the prime body, that stands to gain from the phenomenon, saying: 'Whoah! We need to put the brakes on…' That's how serious the situation is. The sheer quantity of devel- opment permits that are being issued by the Planning Author- ity is now overwhelming our towns and villages. This, how- ever, is having effects which go beyond just the uglification of our landscape. For instance: air pollution. Would you believe me if I told you that the air in Malta is now more polluted than Manhattan? Well, it's true… and there are statistics to prove it. Because our politicians – as always – have only ever taken the 'bad bits' to copy from other countries. It is a neo-colonialist mentality, to imitate foreign countries: with- out taking into consideration differences between the local and international context And I say this, not because there is Labour government in power today. This actually start- ed under the PN - back in 2012, the Chamber Architects – had declared that this sort of 'copy- cat' development was 'not suit- ed to Malta'. It doesn't take into account our culture… nor our infrastructure. At the same time, former La- bour minister Charles Buhagiar – then in opposition – had de- clared that we have 'neither the experience, nor the expertise' for this sort of development. And this is very important: why are we seeing all these deaths and injuries on construction sites, spiralling out of control? Not to mention the collapse of houses, and the deaths of resi- dents… Obviously, it is because we just don't have the necessary exper- tise for the type of development we are now permitting. In fact, you also argued that many of these new develop- ments "violate urban planning regulations and zoning poli- cies." But let's be honest: this is hardly a new phenomenon. FAA has in fact been complain- ing about abusive development for years, if not decades. What makes today's situation so par- ticularly urgent? Again: part of the answer has to do with the sheer number of permits being issued today, which is far higher than ever before; and also more intrusive, with policies being broken to allow large hotels in residential side-streets in Gzira, Sliema, St Julian's and other towns. Not to mention all the pavements and promenades – public property – being taken over by cafes and kiosks. And as our press release stated, Gozitan development applications alone – that is to say, not even counting the sit- uation in Malta - have almost doubled in the past four years: increasing from 787 in 2016 to 1,314 in 2020. And this brings me back to the figures. Mad as we were, at [former PA board member] Elizabeth Ellul, for approving so many ODZ projects in er time… her replacement is ac- tually approving three times as may permits which had been original recommended for re- fusal: even when those negative refusals bear the full weight of the Environment and Resources Authority and the Superintend- ence of Cultural Heritage. What many people are not aware of is that, while public at- tention is focused on the main PA Board – which decides on all the major projects – it is actual- ly the EPC that quietly approves about 95% of all permits. It is only a handful of decisions that actually reache the PA Board. The vast majority sneak their way through the EPC. And while NGOs do the best job they can to keep an eye on those permit decisions…the re- ality is that civil society lacks the resources, funding and staff to carry out such a major job. This is why there are now so many different NGOs: each specialis- ing in their own particular area, and trying to divide the work among themselves. So even if it is not a 'new' phe- nomenon… it is certainly get- ting a lot worse today both in terms of numbers and gravity. We have even reached the point that Malta's UNESCO World Heritage Sites are being jeop- ardised by encroaching devel- opment, which UNESCO rates as a factor in undermining their The Planning Authority is approving more development projects than ever before – specially in Gozo. But Flimkien Għall-Ambjent Aħjar president ASTRID VELLA argues that developers have now 'crossed a line'; and that people will no longer put up with the loss of their townscapes on such a massive scale PHOTO: JAMES BIANCHI Raphael Vassallo rvassallo@mediatoday.com.mt