Five organisations are appealing ERA’s approval of an extensive village, restaurant and retail outlet on Comino. The organisations – BirdLife Malta, Din l-Art Ħelwa, Friends of the Earth Malta, Moviment Graffitti, and Nature Trust – Malta – are firmly opposing the urbanisation of Comino, slamming the superficial assessment of the private project on a prized nature reserve in favour of the commercial interests of a few catering for the wealthy. The first appeal hearing will be on Thursday the 15th of September.
“We cannot understand how ERA went ahead and recommended this project when it breaches every environmental and planning policy in the book, ranging from the EU’s Habitats Directive to the Local Plan. Instead of safeguarding biodiversity and the delicate ecological balance of this Natura 2000 site, ERA has approved the extensive urbanisation of the island, the uprooting of 380 protected trees and the denaturation of the site. This after ERA has sat on its hands for the last years and neglected to publish the study about the carrying capacity of Comino. We have filed an appeal before the Environment Planning Review Tribunal and will demand the safeguarding of every inch of Comino.”
The development proposal, lodged by a subsidiary of the Hili Group, would see the replacement of the nine derelict bungalows currently at Santa Marija Bay with a village of 19 individually owned villas to be sold, with a total population of 130 people, together with a restaurant and convenience store. This would destroy a significant area of garigue and disrupt the environmental integrity of the bay.
The proposal, yet another example of total disregard towards a healthy environment, is in the planning application process and will be brought in front of the PA board after a representation period where the public can send in their objections.
Ħames għaqdiet qegħdin jappellaw l-approvazzjoni reċenti min-naħa tal-ERA ta’ raħal estensiv, ristorant u ħanut fuq Kemmuna. L-organizzazzjonijiet BirdLife Malta, Din l-Art Ħelwa, Friends of the Earth Malta, Moviment Graffitti u Nature Trust – Malta jopponu bis-sħiħ l-urbanizzazzjoni ta’ Kemmuna u l-valutazzjoni superfiċjali li saret ta’ dan il-proġett privat fuq riserva naturali prezzjuża li jiffavorixxi biss il-gwadann kummerċjali tas-sinjuri. L-ewwel seduta tal-appell ser issir nhar il-Ħamis 15 ta’ Settembru.
“Ma nistgħux nifhmu kif l-ERA approvat proġett li jikser kull politika ambjentali u tal-ippjanar li teżisti, mid-Direttiva dwar il-Ħabitats sal-Pjan Lokali. Minflok tħares il-bijodiversità u l-bilanċ ekoloġiku sensittiv ta’ dan is-sit tan-Natura 2000, l-ERA approvat l-urbanizzazzjoni tal-gżira, il-qtugħ ta’ 380 siġra protetta u l-qerda tal-istat naturali tal-post. Dan wara li l-ERA għamlet snin sħaħ poġġuta fuq dokument dwar kemm tiflaħ iġġorr nies Kemmuna, li ma riditx tippubblika. Aħna appellajna d-deċiżjoni tal-ERA quddiem it-Tribunal ta’ Reviżjoni tal-Ambjent u l-Ippjanar u ser inkomplu nisħqu fuq il-ħarsien ta’ kull rokna ta’ Kemmuna.”
Il-proposta għall-iżvilupp tressqet minn fergħa sussidjarja tal-Hili Group u tkopri d-disa’ bungalows abbandunati li hemm bħalissa fil-Bajja ta’ Santa Marija inkluż il-bini ta’ raħal ta’ 19-il villa għal persuni privati kif ukoll ristorant u ħanut tal-bżonnijiet. Il-popolazzjoni prevista għall-post hija ta’ 130 persuna. Dan l-iżvilupp ser jeqred parti kbira mix-xagħri u jxekkel l-integrità ambjentali tal-bajja.
Il-proposta hija eżempju ċar ieħor ta’ disprezz sħiħ lejn ambjent san u tinsab fil-proċess ta’ applikazzjoni għall-ippjanar fejn wara perjodu li fih il-pubbliku jkun jista’ jibgħat l-oġġezzjonijiet, titressaq imbagħad quddiem il-bord tal-PA.
