Di-Ve.com
07 April 2010
- editorial@di-ve.com
Current Affairs -- 07 April 2010 -- 16:00CEST
A number of environmental NGOs are strongly objecting to the possible sanctioning of a number of illegal buildings at Dwejra in Gozo, which the MEPA board is set to decide on on Thursday morning.
In a statement released on Wednesday afternoon, Din l-Art Ħelwa maintained that these illegal buildings – most of them boathouses – degraded the natural beauty of the inland sea and the area’s unique landscape, and had already objected to the sanctioning of these buildings previously.
It lamented that recently, an “unnecessarily large” interpretation centre at Dwejra was given the green light by MEPA, following the approval of another oversized visitor centre at Ħaġar Qim.
DLĦ urged MEPA to “live up to the promises repeatedly made by government over the past 2 years, to protect the countryside and safeguard ecologically sensitive areas such as the landscape around Dwejra, which is also designated as a nature park.”
“The proposed reform of Mepa has clearly recognized the need to bring to an end the sanctioning of illegal developments, and it is now up to the authorities to put these words into action.”
In a subsequent joint statement, BirdLife Malta, Friends of the Earth (Malta), Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Gaia, Nature Trust Malta and the Ramblers Association also expressed their condemnation of the proposed sanctioning.
They noted that in February 2008, environment NGOs had strongly opposed the approval of approximately 20 applications to sanction abusive structures and accretions at Dwejra, a decision which they said was approved “on the pretext that it would allow the implementation of the Dwejra Action Plan to stop hunting, dumping and impose uniformity and aesthetic improvements in the area with the introduction of wooden apertures, walls painted with palette colours, the removal of all second floors and rooftop structures.”
However, the NGOs noted that in spite of the commitment to regulate the area “some of the boathouses already resemble small hangars, and 16 new applications are now presented for sanctioning.”
“It is unacceptable that MEPA had sanctioned boathouse abuse two years ago on the basis of drawing the line to prevent any more sanctioning, and is now considering more sanctioning when 5 years have passed since the Dwejra Heritage Park Action Plan was agreed to,” they lamented.
The NGOs added that these abusive tactics and MEPA’s “generally spineless response” were what they had recently protesting about.
They said that they would not be attending the MEPA hearing in protest at the MEPA board’s current processing of applications, and said that the hearing would test MEPA’s credentials.
“Approval of the Dwejra applications by MEPA will continue to reduce this supposedly protected area to a shanty-town, make a complete mockery of the MEPA reform, will tear to shreds the much-trumpeted New Policy for the Environment and will contribute to making a laughing-stock of Eco-Gozo,” the NGOs concluded.
The development applications to be determined by the MEPA board on Thursday are:
* PA 5738/00 To sanction extension to existing bar, site at Dwejra Bar, 75, Id-Dwejra, Limits of, San Lawrenz (reconsideration)
* PA 5748/00 To sanction the construction of a boathouse, site at Boathouse 34, Id-Dwejra limits of, San Lawrenz (reconsideration)
* PA 5759/00 To sanction the construction of a boathouse, site at Boathouse 96, Id-Dwejra limits of, San Lawrenz
* PA 5765/00 To sanction boathouse, site at Boathouse 104, Id-Dwejra limits of, San Lawrenz (reconsideration)
* PA 5774/00 To sanction the construction of a boathouse, site at Boathouse 8, Id-Dwejra limits of, San Lawrenz
* PA 5776/00 To sanction different layout of boathouse and to sanction increase in height and subdivision in two levels, site at Boathouse 38, Id-Dwejra limits of, San Lawrenz (reconsideration)
* PA 5967/00 To sanction the construction of a boathouse, site at Boathouse 56, Id-Dwejra limits of, San Lawrenz
* PA 6541/00 To sanction the construction of concrete platform, to sanction change of use of land for outside tables and to sanction canopy in front of existing bar, site at Dwejra Bar, 75 Id-Dwejra, limits of San Lawrenz
* PA 6747/00 To sanction the construction of a boathouse, site at, Id-Dwejra limits of San Lawrenz
* PA 0273/01 To sanction additions within building cartilage, site at 107 Pjazza Tad-Dwejra, Dwejra l/o San Lawrenz
* PA 1548/01 To sanction existing fishery store, site at Id-Dwejra, limits of San Lawrenz
* PA 4829/02 Change of use from summer residence into a diving equipment rent out, site at Pjazza tad-Dwejra, Dwejra l/o San Lawrenz
* PA 5216/03 To sanction extension to existing boathouse, site at 98 Id-Dwejra l/o San Lawrenz
* PA 3732/04 To sanction additions to existing summer residence consisting of room at ground floor, site at 106 Id-Dwejra limits of San Lawrenz
* PA 6904/04 To sanction minor works on the facade and on the interior of existing dwelling and subdivision into two separate units, site at 108 Pjazza Tad-Dwejra, Dwejra l/o San Lawrenz
* PA 0660/06 To sanction yard walls at back of boathouse, site at Boathouse 72, Id-Dwejra limits of San Lawrenz
* PA 0662/06 Biex jigu ssanzjonti x-xogholijiet, site at Id-Dwejra, Dwejra limits of San Lawrenz
Di-Ve.com
07 April 2010
http://www.di-ve.com/Default.aspx?ID=72&Action=1&NewsId=71275¤tPage=34&newscategory=31
Update 1: NGOs object to sanctioning of Dwejra structures
di-ve.com by di-ve.com - editorial@di-ve.com
Current Affairs -- 07 April 2010 -- 16:00CEST
A number of environmental NGOs are strongly objecting to the possible sanctioning of a number of illegal buildings at Dwejra in Gozo, which the MEPA board is set to decide on on Thursday morning.
In a statement released on Wednesday afternoon, Din l-Art Ħelwa maintained that these illegal buildings – most of them boathouses – degraded the natural beauty of the inland sea and the area’s unique landscape, and had already objected to the sanctioning of these buildings previously.
It lamented that recently, an “unnecessarily large” interpretation centre at Dwejra was given the green light by MEPA, following the approval of another oversized visitor centre at Ħaġar Qim.
DLĦ urged MEPA to “live up to the promises repeatedly made by government over the past 2 years, to protect the countryside and safeguard ecologically sensitive areas such as the landscape around Dwejra, which is also designated as a nature park.”
“The proposed reform of Mepa has clearly recognized the need to bring to an end the sanctioning of illegal developments, and it is now up to the authorities to put these words into action.”
In a subsequent joint statement, BirdLife Malta, Friends of the Earth (Malta), Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Gaia, Nature Trust Malta and the Ramblers Association also expressed their condemnation of the proposed sanctioning.
They noted that in February 2008, environment NGOs had strongly opposed the approval of approximately 20 applications to sanction abusive structures and accretions at Dwejra, a decision which they said was approved “on the pretext that it would allow the implementation of the Dwejra Action Plan to stop hunting, dumping and impose uniformity and aesthetic improvements in the area with the introduction of wooden apertures, walls painted with palette colours, the removal of all second floors and rooftop structures.”
However, the NGOs noted that in spite of the commitment to regulate the area “some of the boathouses already resemble small hangars, and 16 new applications are now presented for sanctioning.”
“It is unacceptable that MEPA had sanctioned boathouse abuse two years ago on the basis of drawing the line to prevent any more sanctioning, and is now considering more sanctioning when 5 years have passed since the Dwejra Heritage Park Action Plan was agreed to,” they lamented.
The NGOs added that these abusive tactics and MEPA’s “generally spineless response” were what they had recently protesting about.
They said that they would not be attending the MEPA hearing in protest at the MEPA board’s current processing of applications, and said that the hearing would test MEPA’s credentials.
“Approval of the Dwejra applications by MEPA will continue to reduce this supposedly protected area to a shanty-town, make a complete mockery of the MEPA reform, will tear to shreds the much-trumpeted New Policy for the Environment and will contribute to making a laughing-stock of Eco-Gozo,” the NGOs concluded.
The development applications to be determined by the MEPA board on Thursday are:
* PA 5738/00 To sanction extension to existing bar, site at Dwejra Bar, 75, Id-Dwejra, Limits of, San Lawrenz (reconsideration)
* PA 5748/00 To sanction the construction of a boathouse, site at Boathouse 34, Id-Dwejra limits of, San Lawrenz (reconsideration)
* PA 5759/00 To sanction the construction of a boathouse, site at Boathouse 96, Id-Dwejra limits of, San Lawrenz
* PA 5765/00 To sanction boathouse, site at Boathouse 104, Id-Dwejra limits of, San Lawrenz (reconsideration)
* PA 5774/00 To sanction the construction of a boathouse, site at Boathouse 8, Id-Dwejra limits of, San Lawrenz
* PA 5776/00 To sanction different layout of boathouse and to sanction increase in height and subdivision in two levels, site at Boathouse 38, Id-Dwejra limits of, San Lawrenz (reconsideration)
* PA 5967/00 To sanction the construction of a boathouse, site at Boathouse 56, Id-Dwejra limits of, San Lawrenz
* PA 6541/00 To sanction the construction of concrete platform, to sanction change of use of land for outside tables and to sanction canopy in front of existing bar, site at Dwejra Bar, 75 Id-Dwejra, limits of San Lawrenz
* PA 6747/00 To sanction the construction of a boathouse, site at, Id-Dwejra limits of San Lawrenz
* PA 0273/01 To sanction additions within building cartilage, site at 107 Pjazza Tad-Dwejra, Dwejra l/o San Lawrenz
* PA 1548/01 To sanction existing fishery store, site at Id-Dwejra, limits of San Lawrenz
* PA 4829/02 Change of use from summer residence into a diving equipment rent out, site at Pjazza tad-Dwejra, Dwejra l/o San Lawrenz
* PA 5216/03 To sanction extension to existing boathouse, site at 98 Id-Dwejra l/o San Lawrenz
* PA 3732/04 To sanction additions to existing summer residence consisting of room at ground floor, site at 106 Id-Dwejra limits of San Lawrenz
* PA 6904/04 To sanction minor works on the facade and on the interior of existing dwelling and subdivision into two separate units, site at 108 Pjazza Tad-Dwejra, Dwejra l/o San Lawrenz
* PA 0660/06 To sanction yard walls at back of boathouse, site at Boathouse 72, Id-Dwejra limits of San Lawrenz
* PA 0662/06 Biex jigu ssanzjonti x-xogholijiet, site at Id-Dwejra, Dwejra limits of San Lawrenz
http://www.di-ve.com/Default.aspx?ID=72&Action=1&NewsId=71275¤tPage=34&newscategory=31
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