Updated | Din l-Art Helwa lambastes ODZ policy approval, MEPA denies allegation

Din l-Art Helwa (DLH) has lambasted the decision by the MEPA board to approve the new policy regulating outside development construction, just days before a discussion on procedures governing the launch of new planning regulations is approved.

Echoing Ryan Callus, the Opposition's representative on the MEPA board, the environmental NGO was highly critical of the board's decision to approve the new ODZ policy before formulating a Strategic Environment Impact Assessment to replace the Structure plan.

MORE Nationalist MP on MEPA board votes against ODZ policy

According to EU legislation, an Environment Impact Assessment is required for any formal plan deemed to have an impact on the environment.

On Monday, MEPA revealed that the approved document included a number of changes from the proposed version, which was issued for six weeks public consultation last October. While previous policies limited any ODZ development to two storeys, the new approved plan does not impose a limit, thus permitting higher developments. Moreover, the new policy allows multiple applications on the same site.

But the policy only includes a blanket ban on development on sites enjoying the highest degree of protection, and allows development on buffer zones and areas of high landscape value.

"It is unacceptable of the Environmental and Planning Authority to disregard this strategic document, more so by approving revisions to important planning documents just before the publication of the SPED," DLH said in a letter addressed to the MEPA Chairman.

DLH has consequently called on MEPA and Parliamentary Secretary for Planning Michael Farrugia, to ensure that no further new revised planning policies are approved until the SPED has been finalised. Moreover, it said the parliamentary committee on planning procedures to discuss whether adequate procedures are being observed in the launch of the new development regulations without the Strategic Plan being concluded.

"Din l-Art Helwa requests that all the planning policies currently being revised or introduced by MEPA should therefore be reissued for public consultation once the information contained with the SPED has been made available to the public," the environmental NGO said.

MEPA reaction

In a reaction, MEPA chairman Vince Cassar and the MEPA board categorically denied trying to push through the approval of the ODZ policy in the absence of SPED (Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development) discussions for 29 January 2014 with the Parliamentary Committee for Environment and Development Planning.

"This statement was only meant to put the Chairman and the MEPA Board in bad light," MEPA said.

The MEPA Board agenda for discussing and approving the ODZ Policy was issued to all board members on Monday 20 January 2014, with the CEO notified late evening of Wednesday 22 January 2014 that a parliamentary committee meeting for Environment and Development Planning was to be held on Wednesday 29 January 2014.

"The agenda of the Parliamentary Committee meeting received by the CEO did not make any reference that a discussion was going to be held regarding the relationship between SPED and planning policies which are currently being formulated," MEPA said.

It pointed out that item 3 on the agenda stated that the Committee was to discuss 'information regarding policies which MEPA is currently reviewing' and not their relationship with SPED.

"It was only during the parliamentary committee meeting that correspondence from Din l-Art Helwa addressed to the chairperson of the committee was read out, in which it requested that the matter related to the relationship between SPED and planning policies should be discussed."

The approved ODZ policy still needs to be discussed by parliament.