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James Debono
The Labour MP who spearheaded the campaign to save the Kalkara valley, one of the locality’s major open spaces, has had his application to construct a basement garage in the area turned down by the planning authority because “it encroached on a public open space in a housing estate”.
Joe Mizzi, a former MEPA board member of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, had his application refused after the case officer claimed the garage would conflict with pedestrians’ needs.
The MEPA directorate, which called for refusal of application, claimed the garage would encroach on the public open space as designated by the Grand Harbour Local Plan.
Mizzi has alleged that MEPA’s decision is discriminatory because similar development in the same housing estate was given the green light in the past.
He insists the proposed garage did not in any way affect pedestrians as it was below ground level.
The land where the garage was to be constructed belongs to the government. Mizzi told MaltaToday the land in question could only be granted to private individuals after a tender is issued by the Lands Department. The Lands Department can only issue such a tender if the development is first approved by MEPA.
jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt
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