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MT 28 August 2016

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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 28 AUGUST 2016 4 News Hondoq ir-Rummien applicant claims being misled by PA JAMES DEBONO THE developers behind a mega tourist village proposed by the pic- turesque Gozo seaside at Hondoq ir-Rummien, are claiming they were "misled" by the Planning Au- thority (PA) in pursuing approval for the application. The developers, Victor Bajada and his company Gozo Prestige Holidays, are submitting an ap- peal to the refusal of the unpopular project and demanding that the PA considers new plans that now omit- ting the yacht marina, a request the PA had repeatedly refused. "The PA has no right to go back on its commitments, arrived at through its own actions, and after having induced the applicant to in- cur hundreds of thousands of euros in costs and expenses to comply with the PA's request for studies," architect Edward Bencini claimed in the appeal presented to the PA. The project, which was unani- mously turned down last month, was to include a deluxe 5-star hotel with 110 bedrooms, 20 self-cater- ing villas, 60 apartments serviced by the hotel, 203 apartments, 1,249 underground parking spaces, a vil- lage centre – which was to include a church and shops – and a yacht marina for approximately 100 to 150 berths. The project was vehemently op- posed by the people of Qala, as well as by Malta's and Gozo's environ- mental organisations. Gozo Prestige claims that through the 14-year history of the applica- tion, it had also responded to "guid- ance from the Planning Authority, the Planning Directorate and the Environment Protection Directo- rate", and that "various successive proposals were prepared and dis- cussed with the PA as part of an iterative process ending with the submission of new drawings with a heavily scaled down building con- tent". They also insist that the project follows the local plan for the area approved in 2006. The local plan policy states that the preferred way forward is "to sensitively develop the area" and that "tourism and marine-related development may be considered by the PA" but only if these are of a "low density and high quality na- ture which respects the environ- ment." In the appeal, the developers took umbrage at the refusal by former PA chief executive officer Ian Sta- frace to accept new plans with a revised concept, which excluded the marina but retained the tourist village. The PA at the time (then the Malta Environment and Planning Authority) argued that this consti- tuted a major change, which could only be considered under a new planning application. During last month's meeting, the PA's present executive chairman, Johann Buttigieg, reiterated his agreement with this position. The developers also accused the present board of denying them a fair hearing, claiming that they were not given sufficient time to prepare themselves before the de- cision, and are now asking that the appeals tribunal refer the case back to the PA board. They also insist on the board as- sessing the plans, which the PA re- fused to consider in 2010. The Hondoq saga: Why did it take 14 years? The Hondoq project application was filed originally in 2002 shortly after the publication of a draft local plan which referred to the possibil- ity to "limited built development" to finance the considerable expense of developing the quarry where the project would be sited, while stat- ing that the preferred way forward was afforestation and agriculture. Studies were conducted by the developer to identify whether Hon- doq was the best site for a marina. The first significant delay took place between the submission of the EIA in 2007, and its certifica- tion by MEPA in 2010. A report issued by the Environ- ment Protection Directorate (EPD) issued in 2011 blames the EIA co- ordinator for "the conspicuously lengthy period to reach a certifiable version of the EIS". The EPD attributes this delay to the "prolonged failure by the EIA Coordinator to address the issues in terms of reference of the project, markedly delaying the certification process". In April 2009, the EPD had to is- sue a final reminder, in which it threatened to stop considering the proposal if changes to the EIS were not presented in two months. The first draft of the EIA, which included titles like 'Yes to the Hon- doq ir-Rummien Yacht Marina', was blasted by the EPD for its poor quality, and its bias in favour of the proposal. The EPD also refused to accept a number of reports in the study and requested resubmission by differ- ent qualified consultants. The second delay occurred be- tween certification and the com- mencement of a public consulta- tion period. The year-long delay was attrib- uted to the applicant's initial oppo- sition to hold a public consultation in Qala. The EPD insisted that the locality most affected by the development should host the public event. There was also resistance by the own- ers of appropriate venues in Qala (namely the parish community hall and Qala Primary School) to make their venues available for the public meeting. The council also asked for a six-month period during which it could review the EIS. While the developers claim that it was the PA which prodded them on to pursue the application in the period between 2002 and 2006, the writing was already on the wall in 2011 when the Malta Environment and Planning Authority's environ- mental arm – the Environment Protection Directorate – called on the authority to refuse the project. MEPA's Planning Directorate was just about to issue the final case of- ficer report when the developers presented a set of new plans, which retained the residential aspect of the project but dropped the yacht marina, replacing it with a swim- ming lagoon. But the authority told the Hon- doq ir-Rummien developers that it would only consider the latest plans if a new application were presented. This decision was appealed. The developers lost the appeal but left it up to the PA board whether to con- sider new plans or not. The board refused to consider new plans and gave a final refusal. But now the de- velopers have appealed again. Moreover the political climate had changed. While former Gozo Minister Gio- vanna Debono had expressed her- self in favour of the project before 2008, when asked about the pro- ject in 2011 Environment Minister Mario de Marco ominously warned that "our environment is too small to afford to suffer any more mis- takes than we have already com- mitted in the past, sometimes even in the name of tourism and pro- gress". Labour also remained committed to its opposition to the project and opposition to the project in Qala remained strong, thanks to the tire- less campaigning by Labour coun- cillor Paul Buttigieg and Front Har- sien Hondoq. Environmentalists have also called on the Authority to change the local plan to exclude the possibility of residential develop- ment in the area. Laments spending "hundreds of thousands" in euros for studies to comply with PA's instructions V18 chairman's salary doubled CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 "This does not in- clude many events and other personal Val- letta 2018 engagements falling on week- ends," Micallef added. Two months after the 2013 election, Mi- callef replaced respected architect David Felice at the helm of the V18 board, an ap- pointment first met with derision within cultural circles. He was appointed by then parliamentary secretary José Herrera reportedly without Castille's fiat, and since then has had to face criticism from the European Commission's monitoring board to hasten preparatory works for Valletta's 2018 appointment. While some critics warmed up to the ap- pointment, Micallef has attempted to make his mark as a steward of the capital city when he clashed with economy minister Chris Cardona over the relocation of Monti hawkers to Ordinance Street in Valletta, a few metres away from the iconic Renzo Pi- ano parliament. But Micallef also stood by the unpopular Mario Philip Azzopardi, one of V18's ar- tistic directors, embroiled in various con- troversies that included an online Islamo- phobic rant and a spat with a former V18 assistant artistic director, Sean Buhagiar. Army rescues canoeists trapped in marine cave MIRIAM DALLI MEMBERS of the Armed Forces of Malta and the Civil Protec- tion Department jointly rescued four persons who got trapped in a marine cave in the vicinity of l-Ahrax tal-Mellieha. CPD deputy director Emanuel Psaila told MaltaToday that no one was seriously injured and all four persons were airlifted by the AFM after CPD members went in with their dinghies. The incident happened yes- terday afternoon when two canoeists got trapped inside a cave at the Coral Lagoon. Two Red Cross volunteers were dis- patched on jet skis who, due to the strong currents, got trapped as well. The assistance of the CPD and AFM was subsequently request- ed. A Red Cross ambulance was also on site. Psaila confirmed that no seri- ous injuries were reported. Motorcyclist in danger of dying after crashing in Marsa A 48-year-old motorcyclist is in danger of dying after he lost con- trol of his machine and crashed in Triq Aldo Moro, Marsa, yes- terday morning. The man, who lives in Zebbug, Gozo, was riding his bike towards Valletta at around 7am when he lost control of his machine and crashed into the pavement. An ambulance was called on site, and the man was rushed to Mater Dei to be treated for his life-threatening injuries.

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