Controversial Elizabeth Ellul to be removed from ODZ planning commission chair

Architect Elizabeth Ellul will not be retained chairperson of the Planning Authority’s commission that decides ODZ cases.

Ellul will not be re-appointed chairperson of the planning commission, a post she has held for the past few years, Lovin Malta reported.

Ellul controversially defended a planning application last year to develop a dilapidated building in Qala’s pristine countryside into a villa with pool.

The application by Gozitan develop Joseph Portelli was eventually withdrawn after public outcry. Ellul had failed to declare a potential conflict of interest during proceedings after it was revealed that her husband, architect Andrew Ellul, represented Portelli on another project.

Ellul has been accused by environmentalists of failing to protect the environment, having been the mastermind behind the ODZ policy that allows country rooms to be transformed into villas if it can be proved that someone resided there in the past.

The policy opened the floodgates to some ridiculous applications that saw mounds of rubble being turned into villas on the strength of an electoral registry entry way back in time.

The ODZ policy is now being revised.

The PA was transferred under the wings of Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia from Ian Borg’s portfolio by Prime Minister Robert Abela.

The decision to place the authority in the same portfolio as the environment has given environmentalists hope that planning decisions would be more considerate to the environment.

The decision not to retain Ellul in a lead role could be one such move in that direction.