The rot in our planning system has been evident for decades, with defective laws and puppet authorities undermining our environment and quality of life. However, recent events have brought this decay to an alarming level, eroding the few remaining rights people have to hold authorities accountable.

The Planning Authority (PA) has just approved a development by Joseph Portelli in Sannat (PA/03869/24), despite a Court ruling only a few months ago that revoked the original permit for violating planning policies. This is not an isolated case — three more illegal developments tied to Portelli, which also had their permits revoked by the Court, are pending sanctioning, including ODZ pools in Qala (PA/05223/24) and two other Sannat constructions (PA/05625/24 and PA/05626/24).

Sanctioning procedures are meant for cases where structures conform to existing policies. Yet, in these four instances, Court rulings have clearly stated that they do not. The PA’s processing and approval of these applications undermines the entire planning and judicial process, turning it into a sham procedure where laws, regulations, and even Court rulings are disregarded to appease powerful developers. This gravely undermines the rule of law and threatens the ability of people across Malta and Gozo to participate meaningfully in the planning process or to challenge authorities’ decisions.

This scandal is deeply tied to the failed reform of the planning appeals law. The Qala and Sannat buildings, among many others, were completed before their permits were revoked by the Court. Current law allows developers to build entire projects while appeals are pending, resulting, as in this case, in illegal structures remaining even after the Court ruled against them. Prime Minister Robert Abela promised a reform of this unjust law, first in May last year and again recently, yet no reform has been implemented.

It is now evident that both Prime Minister Robert Abela and Planning Minister Clint Camilleri have given political direction to allow free rein to developers, to the extent of enabling them and the PA to make a mockery of our Courts. Not only has the Prime Minister failed to deliver on his promise to reform the appeals law, but the situation has deteriorated even further as the PA is now re-approving developments which, only last March, were deemed illegal by the Court.

Civil servants like PA Executive Chairperson Oliver Magro must also bear responsibility for their actions. The PA is shamelessly ignoring the rulings of the Chief Justice and wilfully processing fraudulent and misleading applications which also falsely declare that the development is in line with existing planning policies. While we recognise that such administrators are largely puppets on a string, they remain legally accountable for any criminal behavior. The recent Court charges related to hospital privatization should serve as a warning.

As a united front of NGOs and residents’ groups, we urgently demand that the Prime Minister reverses this alarming course. The PA must immediately discard the processing of applications that seek to sanction developments whose permits were cancelled by the Court. The Sannat permit sanctioning two illegal penthouses (PA/03869/24) should also be revoked with urgency. Additionally, the Prime Minister must reform the appeals law without further delay to prevent the possibility of developers constructing illegal structures.

The stakes are high. If this course is not reversed, we risk the collapse of our planning and judicial system and the eradication of the basic right to challenge the PA’s decisions, rendering the people powerless in the face of threats from monstrous and illegal developments. We will not stand idle while developers, with the Prime Minister’s support, stage a coup d’état against our planning and justice system with devastating social and environmental consequences.

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Il-Prim Ministru Robert Abela qed jippermetti ħtif tal-poter fuq is-sistema tal-ippjanar u tal-ġustizzja tagħna mill-iżviluppaturi

It-taħsir fis-sistema tal-ippjanar tagħna ilu evidenti għal għexieren ta’ snin, b’liġijiet difettużi u awtoritajiet pupazzi li jimminaw l-ambjent u l-kwalità tal-ħajja tagħna. Madankollu, dak li ġara riċentament wassal biex dan it-taħsir jilħaq livelli allarmanti, u kompla naqqar il-ftit drittijiet li n-nies fadlilhom biex iżommu lill-awtoritajiet responsabbli.

L-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar (PA) għadha kif approvat żvilupp minn Joseph Portelli f’Ta’ Sannat (PA/03869/24), minkejja deċiżjoni tal-Qorti ftit xhur ilu biss li kienet irrevokat il-permess oriġinali abbażi ta’ ksur tal-politiki tal-ippjanar. Dan mhuwiex każ iżolat — tliet żviluppi illegali oħra marbuta ma’ Portelli, li wkoll kellhom il-permessi tagħhom revokati mill-Qorti, qed jistennew is-sanzjonar, inklużi l-pixxini fl-ODZ tal-Qala (PA/05223/24) u żewġ binjiet oħra f’Ta’ Sannat (PA/05625/24 u PA/05626/24).

Il-proċeduri ta’ sanzjonar huma maħsuba għal każijiet fejn l-istrutturi jikkonformaw mal-politiki eżistenti. Madankollu, f’dawn l-erba’ każijiet, is-sentenzi tal-Qorti ddikjaraw b’mod ċar li dawn mhumiex konformi. L-ipproċessar u l-approvazzjoni min-naħa tal-PA ta’ dawn l-applikazzjonijiet jimminaw il-proċess tal-ippjanar u ġudizzjarju kollu, u jagħmlu l-proċess wieħed finta fejn il-liġijiet, ir-regolamenti, u saħansitra s-sentenzi tal-Qorti qed jiġu injorati biex jaqdu l-interessi ta’ żviluppaturi b’saħħithom. Dan jimmina serjament l-istat tad-dritt u jhedded l-abbiltà tan-nies madwar Malta u Għawdex li jipparteċipaw b’mod sinifikanti fil-proċess tal-ippjanar jew li jikkontestaw id-deċiżjonijiet tal-awtoritajiet.

Dan l-iskandlu huwa marbut man-nuqqas ta’ riforma fil-liġi tal-appelli tal-ippjanar. Il-binjiet fil-Qala u f’Ta’ Sannat, fost ħafna oħrajn, tlestew qabel ma l-permessi tagħhom ġew revokati mill-Qorti. Il-liġi attwali tippermetti lill-iżviluppaturi jibnu proġetti sħaħ waqt li l-appelli jkunu pendenti, u dan jirriżulta, bħal f’dan il-każ, f’li strutturi illegali jibqgħu hemm anki wara li l-Qorti taqta’ sentenza kontrihom. Il-Prim Ministru Robert Abela wiegħed riforma ta’ din il-liġi inġusta, l-ewwel f’Mejju tas-sena li għaddiet u mill-ġdid dan l-aħħar, iżda s’issa l-ebda riforma ma ġiet implimentata.

Issa huwa evidenti li kemm il-Prim Ministru Robert Abela kif ukoll il-Ministru tal-Ippjanar Clint Camilleri taw direzzjoni politika biex l-iżviluppaturi jitħallew jagħmlu li jridu, sal-punt li jħallu lilhom u lill-PA jiżżuffjettaw bil-Qrati tagħna. Mhux biss il-Prim Ministru naqas milli jwettaq il-wegħda tiegħu li jirriforma l-liġi tal-appelli, iżda s-sitwazzjoni ddeterjorat saħansitra aktar peress li l-PA issa qed tapprova mill-ġdid żviluppi li f’Marzu li għadda ġew iddikjarati illegali mill-Qorti.

L-impjegati taċ-ċivil bħall-President Eżekuttiv tal-PA Oliver Magro għandhom jerfgħu wkoll ir-responsabbiltà għall-azzjonijiet tagħhom. Il-PA qiegħda bla mistħija ta’ xejn tinjora s-sentenzi mogħtija mill-Prim Imħallef, u qiegħda xjentement tipproċessa applikazzjonijiet frawdolenti u qarrieqa li jiddikjaraw ukoll b’mod falz li l-iżvilupp huwa konformi mal-politiki eżistenti tal-ippjanar. Filwaqt li nirrikonoxxu li dawn l-amministraturi huma fil-biċċa l-kbira pupazzi mmexxija bi spaga mill-politiċi, huma jibqgħu legalment responsabbli għal kwalunkwe mġiba kriminali. Il-proċessi riċenti tal-Qorti relatati mal-privatizzazzjoni tal-isptarijiet għandhom iservu ta’ twissija.

Bħala front magħqud ta’ għaqdiet u gruppi ta’ residenti, nesiġu b’mod urġenti li l-Prim Ministru jreġġa’ lura din ir-rotta allarmanti. Il-PA għandha immedjatament twarrab l-ipproċessar ta’ applikazzjonijiet li jfittxu li jissanzjonaw żviluppi li l-permessi tagħhom ġew ikkanċellati mill-Qorti. Il-permess f’Ta’ Sannat li jissanzjona żewġ pentouses illegali (PA/03869/24) għandu wkoll jiġi revokat b’urġenza. Barra minn hekk, il-Prim Ministru għandu jirriforma l-liġi tal-appelli mingħajr aktar dewmien biex jipprevjeni l-possibbiltà li l-iżviluppaturi jibnu strutturi illegali.

Ir-riskji involuti f’dan kollu huma kbar ħafna. Jekk din it-triq li nqabdet ma titreġġax lura, nirriskjaw il-kollass tas-sistema tal-ippjanar u tas-sistema ġudizzjarja tagħna, kif ukoll l-eradikazzjoni tad-dritt bażiku li jiġu kkontestati d-deċiżjonijiet tal-PA, u b’hekk in-nies isiru għalkollox impotenti meta jaffaċċjaw theddid minn żviluppi monstrużi u illegali. Aħna mhux se nibqgħu siekta waqt li l-iżviluppaturi, bl-appoġġ tal-Prim Ministru, qed iwettqu kolp ta’ stat kontra s-sistema tal-ippjanar u s-sistema ġudizzjarja tagħna b’konsegwenzi soċjali u ambjentali devastanti.