Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/963162
maltatoday SUNDAY 8 APRIL 2018 Interview 15 – often deflect your arguments by dismissing FAA as being representative of only a tiny sliver of the Maltese population: mostly middle-class, overwhelmingly from Sliema (geographically and/ or culturally) ... and therefore somewhat disconnected from the mainstream majority that actually welcomes and espouses large- scale construction. How much truth is there to that description... and how do you counter that argument when it is used against FAA? Hmm. [Pause] Some might say that about all environmentalists, not just our group... that it is a 'lux- ury' to spend your time defending the environment... Yes, that's another facet of it. That these are 'first-world problems', only of concern to the most pampered segments of society... What I would say to that? I would say that what we are trying to do is to consider everyone, really. We don't only focus on Sliema. There is that perception, perhaps: and in itself this is not surprising. If, at a time, there were a lot of proper- ties being demolished in Sliema – which there are, today – obviously, you end up fighting those cases... but not just because they happened in Sliema. You can only fight cases where they happen: and yes, Sliema was and still is targeted by excessive development. So if, effectively, peo- ple from Sliema started supporting FAA, because they saw someone that they knew, who was from their own locality... it was Astrid [Vella] at the time... who was fighting to preserve what they felt was their heritage... obviously it's reasonable that people from that area would support FAA. But it's not just peo- ple from those areas. We get calls from concerned people all over Malta and Gozo... which in turn also means that the concern itself is not limited to any one social demo- graphic, either. It might have start- ed out as an area-specific issue, but today's reality is that people every- where are starting to feel affected... We have so far concentrated on what FAA is trying to achieve... but not how it actually goes about it. NGOs generally adopt a multi-pronged approach: part of it would be raising awareness and galvanising support... but also actually confronting 'the other side' (as it were) though activism. In FAA's case, that might include organising protests, or being present at public PA hearings to raise objections, etc. You mentioned Astrid Vella, who was omnipresent on this level. Now that she is no longer chairperson... do you envisage any changes in strategy? We're still focusing on the public awareness side; we still try to bring what we consider important cases to the public's attention; we still at- tend PA board hearings... in fact, I would say that the main focus of our work goes into the technical side of it: in the case of an appeal, we will attend all the tribunal hearings; submit our objections, participate professionally at every level of the appeals system ... but that is also the part of our work that is least visible to the public. Which doesn't help, to be honest. The Townsquare Pro- ject in Sliema, for instance, is still under appeal. We put a lot of work into building up a technical case as to why this project should not have been approved – months and months of work, which took a lot of time and energy. But it all hap- pens behind the scenes. None of it is public, until a decision is taken. It doesn't mean the work's not hap- pening... but people might think it's not... This brings us to a deeper underlying issue. Recent statistics have shed light on the operations of the Planning Authority: for instance, the rate at which the board approves or rejects planning applications; how the individual board members vote; what percentage of decisions are overturned on appeal, etc... and it all points towards an overwhelming likelihood (over 80%) of final approval. When there are planning infringements, these do not result in refusal... instead, they are offset by 'environmental contributions'. Does FAA intend to challenge this regulatory approach in any way? The way I see it... if there are planning infringements, there are planning infringements. But there is also the issue of interpretation of policy. Policies exist, and have existed for some time. But many have changed recently, and many of these revisions have contributed to the construction drive we are witnessing today. SPED is one ex- ample; and the Rural Development Policy is another, which explains why we're seeing so much more ODZ development. Then there's the hotel height-adjustment policy, which is why the Mercury House project [in Paceville] got approved so easily. Not to mention changes in the DC15 (Development Con- trol Design Policy, Guidance and Standards 2015) that, through sub- sequent changes effected through legal notices, directly led to a fur- ther increase in development with- in urban areas. What we are seeing today, then, is the result of policy- changes. So, to a certain extent, the people who take decisions – who vote on applications – will have no choice but to approve, in most cases. The recent ODZ fuel sta- tion approved in Maghtab is a case in point: it was approved because the application fit within the policy structure. But it doesn't mean it was the right decision: there are other considerations, which the policies no longer reflect because of all those changes. It is tragic, really. So we believe that there needs to be a serious revision of policy. It is no use expecting planning decisions to be taken in the best interest of the surrounding environment and with consideration for the future... when the policies those decisions are based on are so flawed. Malta seems hell-bent on an unstoppable construction drive: but some NGOs seem equally hell-bent on bringing this urban sprawl under some form of control. Environmental crusaders? Radical extremists opposed to all progress? For TARA CASSAR - an architect working for Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar (FAA) – it is more a case of trying to build a better place to live. We're not suggesting a moratorium on new buildings. But there needs to be an assessment of what we're doing, and where we're going PLANNING not just today