Today, Moviment Graffitti is publishing footage that shows the environmental destruction across Malta and Gozo; the result of faulty planning laws.
In particular, the footage shows the environmental destruction which has marred Qala. The permit (PA/08143/21) for enormous pools in the Qala ODZ was declared illegal by the courts last March, but because of the way that the appeals law currently works, the works were commenced and completed while the appeals process was still ongoing.
The story of Qala shows the endless abuses that exist in a planning sector ruled by developers. When, in 2021, it was reported that developer Joseph Portelli and his associates had begun digging two enormous pools without permits in Qala’s ODZ, Moviment Graffitti immediately reported the illegality to the Planning Authority. Despite this, the illegal works, as can be seen in the video, continued with absolute impunity. Joseph Portelli even publically admitted that while it was true that there was no permit for the works, he claimed to have done nothing wrong as he was sure he would be eventually granted the aforementioned permits.
In fact, after a while, he did apply for the permits for two illegal pools on ODZ land, and after a few months, the Planning Authority approved them.
Moviment Graffitti and the Qala Local Council banded together and appealed these permits. The courts revoked the permits and declared the pools illegal.
Despite this, because of a defective law which permits illegal buildings to begin and reach completion during the appeals stage, these pools were already built. The same applies to a large part of the enormous building that buried Qala, exactly next to these pools. The Planning Tribunal (EPRT) revoked the permit (PA/09606/19) for 63 apartments across four stories, but these too had already been built in the meantime.
Despite the fact that Robert Abela promised a reform to the appeals law in May of 2023, the reform has not yet occurred.
As you can see in this footage, this absurd law has not only left environmental destruction in Qala, but also in Mistra, and in countless other cases.
In April 2024, Moviment Graffitti asked the Prime Minister to enact this reform and to remove the ODZ pools in Qala. Till now, nothing has been done. While the government is always quick to go out of its way to serve the interests of developers, it works at a snail’s pace, or does nothing at all, regarding the reforms that are necessary to provide a shred of decency to the planning sector.
Some animals are more equal than others.
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FILMAT: Il-ħerba ambjentali fis-saltna tal-iżviluppaturi
Il-Moviment Graffitti illum qed jippubblika filmat li juri l-isfreġju ambjentali li l-liġi difettuża tal-appelli qed tħalli madwar Malta u Għawdex.
Il-filmati juru b’mod partikolari l-ħerba ambjentali li saret fil-Qala. Il-permess (PA/08143/21) għal pixxini enormi fl-ODZ tal-Qala ġie ddikjarat bħala illegali mill-Qorti f’Marzu li għadda, iżda minħabba kif qiegħda l-liġi dwar l-appelli fil-preżent, ix-xogħlijiet laħqu bdew u tlestew waqt li l-proċess tal-appell kienu għadu għaddej.
L-istorja tal-Qala turi t-tnawwir bla qies li jeżisti f’settur tal-ippjanar maħkum mill-iżviluppaturi. Meta f’Ottubru tal-2021 kien ġie rrappurtat li l-iżviluppatur Joseph Portelli u l-imsieħba tiegħu bdew iħaffru għal żewġ pixxini enormi mingħajr permess fuq art ODZ fil-Qala, il-Moviment Graffitti immedjatament irrapporta l-illegalità mal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar. Iżda x-xogħlijiet illegali li qed jidhru fil-filmat baqgħu għaddejjin b’impunità assoluta. Joseph Portelli kien saħansitra stqarr pubblikament li, filwaqt li kienu minnu li x-xogħlijiet huma illegali, huwa ma għamel xejn ħażin għax kien ċert li se jikseb il-permess.
Fil-fatt, ftit wara applika biex jikseb permess għaż-żewġ pixxini illegali fuq l-ODZ, u ftit tax-xhur wara, l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar, approvathom.
Il-Moviment Graffitti u l-Kunsill Lokali tal-Qala ngħaqdu flimkien u appellaw dan il-permess. Il-Qorti ħassret il-permess u ddikjarat li l-pixxini huma illegali.
Iżda sforz il-liġi difettuża li tippermetti li xogħlijiet illegali jilħqu jibdew u jitlestew waqt li jkun għaddej appell, dawn il-pixxini issa laħqu nbnew. L-istess ġara lil parti sostanzjali mill-binja enormi li radmet lill-Qala, eżatt ħdejn dawn il-pixxini. It-Tribunal tal-Ippjanar (EPRT) ħassar il-permess (PA/09606/19) għal 63 appartament fuq erba’ sulari, iżda dawn ukoll kienu laħqu nbnew.
Minkejja li Robert Abela wiegħed riforma tal-liġi tal-appelli f’Mejju tal-2023, ir-riforma għadha ma seħħitx.
Kif juri l-filmat, din il-liġi assurda ma ħallietx ħerba ambjentali fil-Qala biss, imma anki fil-Mistra, fost ħafna każijiet oħrajn.
F’April 2024, il-Moviment Graffitti talab lill-Prim Ministru biex tiddaħħal din ir-riforma u biex jitneħħew il-pixxini illegali fl-ODZ tal-Qala. S’issa, iżda, għadu ma sar xejn. Filwaqt li l-Gvern dejjem pront jaqdi lill-iżviluppaturi mill-koxxa, huwa jimxi b’pass ta’ nemla, jew ma jagħmel assolutament xejn, fir-rigward tar-riformi meħtieġa biex jagħtu farka diċenza fil-qasam tal-ippjanar.
Liġi għall-allat u oħra għall-annimali.
