Developments that have taken place in recent weeks are truly alarming. While major developers were allowed to flout the law with absolute impunity and build illegally, the Planning Authority opted to disregard a Court decision and issue permits for buildings found to be illegal.

And things just kept getting worse.

A few days ago, an article on a local paper quoted a “high-level official” who, among falsehoods and nonsense, intimated that Government is planning to change planning laws to strip what little environmental protections remain.

It was stated that the PA should have the power to create documents that override the law.

So far, the Government has failed to issue a denial about this statement. Therefore, we must take these statements at face value – as a very serious threat.

In practice, such a change would mean that every protection that exists in the Local Plans – like height limitations, ODZ zones or coastal protection – would no longer mean anything. After all, the PA, to appease a developer, would be able to overturn any such protection with the stroke of a pen.

Over the last years, the Court has nullified various permits that the PA had issued in an illegal manner. These include ODZ swimming pools in Qala and buildings on the very edge of the ODZ in Sannat. Instead of stopping this abusive practice and proceeding in line with the law, it seems that Government has decided that simply tearing up the law would be a better option, allowing developers to do anything they want.

We are writing this because we are alarmed by what is happening, and feel obliged to explain the serious threat facing us all. Every signal indicates that we are in the midst of a takeover of the planning and justice system by developers.

However, we also want to make it clear that we are ready to fight. We cannot allow unfettered greed to rule without resistance, or allow speculators to take over what remains of our country. In the face of this grave threat to our present and our children’s future, we are ready to redouble our efforts and intensify our actions.

If you want to join our actions, give us your details by filling in this form, so that we can maintain contact and send you timely updates when public participation is required.

We know that we are fighting against the most monstrous interests, but we will not give up.

The fight continues.

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Kolp ta’ Stat mill-Iżviluppaturi – SEJĦA GĦALL-AZZJONI

F’dawn l-aħħar ġimgħat, f’pajjiżna seħħew affarijiet allarmanti. Fl-istess waqt li żviluppaturi kbar tħallew jibnu illegalment b’impunità assoluta, l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar (PA) saħansitra marret kontra deċiżjonijiet tal-Qorti u ħarġet permessi għal binjiet li kienu ġew dikjarati illegali.

U l-affarijiet komplew sejrin mill-ħażin għall-agħar.

Ftit tal-jiem ilu deher artiklu fuq gazzetta lokali li jikkwota b’mod anonimu “uffiċjal għoli” tal-Gvern. Dan l-uffiċjal, fost ħafna ċuċati u falzitajiet, ta x’jifhem li qiegħda tinħema bidla fil-liġijiet tal-ippjanar sabiex tkun żarmata għalkollox il-ftit protezzjoni ambjentali li fadal. Fl-artiklu jintqal li l-PA għandha jkollha s-setgħa li taqbad u toħloq dokumenti li jkunu ogħla mil-liġijiet tal-pajjiż.

S’issa ma kien hemm l-ebda ċaħda mill-Gvern għall-istqarrijiet ta’ dan l-uffiċjal. Għalhekk, irridu bilfors niħduhom bħala theddida serja ħafna.

Fil-prattika, bidla ta’ dan it-tip tkun tfisser li kull protezzjoni li teżisti fil-Pjanijiet Lokali – bħal-limitu fl-għoli tal-bini, żoni ODZ jew protezzjoni tal-kosta – ma tkun tfisser xejn għaliex il-PA tkun tista’ taqbad tħassarha b’daqqa ta’ pinna sabiex taqdi mill-koxxa lil xi żviluppatur.

Matul dawn l-aħħar snin, il-Qorti ħassret diversi permessi li l-PA kienet ħarġet b’mod illegali, bħall-pixxini fl-ODZ tal-Qala u l-bini f’xifer l-ODZ f’Ta’ Sannat. Jidher li l-Gvern, minflok jieqaf minn din l-imġiba illegali, issa jrid iżarma il-liġi kollha kemm hi sabiex l-iżviluppaturi jkunu jistgħu jagħmlu dak kollu li jridu.

Qegħdin niktbu dan kollu għaliex ninsabu allarmati b’dak li qed jiġri u nħossuna obbligati nispjegaw it-theddida serja li l-poplu għandu quddiemu. Kollox jindika li bħalissa għaddej kolp ta’ stat mill-iżviluppaturi fuq is-sistema tal-ippjanar u tal-ġustizzja.

Iżda nixtiequ wkoll nagħmluha ċara li aħna lesti niġġildulhom. Ma nistgħux inħallu lir-rgħiba jsaltnu bla xkiel u lil ftit spekulaturi jibilgħu dak kollu li fadal f’pajjiżna. Aħna lesti inħarrxu l-azzjonijiet tagħna quddiem din it-theddida gravi għall-preżent tagħna u l-futur ta’ wliedna.

Jekk tixtiequ tingħaqdu fl-azzjonijiet tagħna, agħtuna d-dettalji tagħkom billi timlew din il-formula. B’hekk inkunu nistgħu nżommu kuntatt magħkom u ninfurmawkom fil-pront meta tkun meħtieġa l-parteċipazzjoni tal-poplu.

Nafu li qegħdin niġġieldu kontra interessi mostruzi, iżda m’aħniex se naqtgħu qalbna.

Il-ġlieda tkompli.