MEPA board refuses full development permit for Marsascala beer garden after issuing outline permit eight years ago

The Authority’s planning directorate within MEPA insisted that given that only site clearance works had been carried out on the site after the granting of the permit 8 years ago, there was “no firm commitment on site which compromised the current local planning policies”.

The Directorate also pointed out that, with the approval of the local plan 2006, the proposed development was now “in conflict with a number of local planning policies”.

According to the Directorate, this development was situated on a site situated “just outside the Special Area of Conservation (SAC) which gave full protection to the saline marshland at Il-Magħluq, will adversely affect the function of the valley which is an important water catchment area”.

Moreover, the proposed development site itself was designated as “an area of ecological and scientific importance as well as an area of high landscape value.

MEPA explained how a development permit, which had a lifespan of 5 years, gave an applicant “the obligation to complete the development within an established timeframe”.

Prior to the termination of this period, the applicant might request the Authority “to consider renewing the planning permit for a further period of time”.