When Astrid finds it difficult to decide

So Green warrior Astrid Vella has decided that she needs precious time to look carefully at the proposed extension proposed at Ta’ Cenc before taking a stand. She chose not to attend the private meeting on Ta’ Cenc, which was barred to all the press, but seemingly not to The Independent.

It is curious to see that the woman who traditionally recoils at the mere mention of a minor construction, is finding serious problems understanding whether the development is good or bad.

I think that there is more than meets the eye. Let us help Astrid Vella a little bit.

I may not be as big a tree hugger as Astrid is, even though in 1992 I spent a day in jail for blocking, during a protest, Mr Richard Cachia Caruana from entering Ta’ Cenc, but I like to believe that I am slightly more consistent.

The principle that all greens and level-headed people follow is very simple: if the structure plan says no, then it is NO.

Before Astrid Vella came into the picture and sort of started preaching her version of the Gospel, there were many anti-social, low-level publicity-seeking people who would work relentlessly against all odds to protect their environment. Astrid gives the impression that she is the movement, was the movement, and will be central to any movement in future.

Understandably, her appreciation for the natural environment – ecology, that is – is very poor. Her adult education dragged her into the elitist realm of Baroque architecture: a subject anathema to most environmentalists. But sooner rather than later she was declaring war on issues which were linked to inner city planning and architectural styles, rather than pure unadulterated ecology.

Protecting Ta’ Cenc is all ecology and little about Baroque heritage: hence her confusion.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

But worse than that, the fact that Astrid is a ‘one-woman show’ orbiting in an undemocratic movement, self-styled by her whims and moods, makes the whole idea of democratising pressure a little bit of problem.

I am not sure if Victor Borg, the Ta’ Cenc owner, has made any contact with Astrid Vella, but I would be very surprised if he did not. And if he did, or she did, I would be very interested to know what was stated.

I have to say I never quite appreciated Astrid Vella. Once she wrote an opinion for MaltaToday and her article was edited and cut down simply because it was far too long. I later discovered that she had vetted her article with Minister Dolores Cristina before sending it to me.

When she cut the article, she had removed her bit praising the government. When the article appeared, she told Dolores that I had cut out the paragraph praising the government. What cheek!

I discovered this by mere coincidence. In a heated debate with the PM’s personal assistant Edgar Galea Curmi over the fact that MaltaToday did not censor people who praised the government in the paper, he retorted that I had censored Astrid Vella’s piece.

“What?” I replied. “I just told you I had to cut her 2,500-word opinion. And how do you know that her opinion was cut?”

“Because she vetted the opinion with Dolores Cristina before.”

That answered it.

Astrid Vella has a problem. On every other issue that pertains to the environment she has been able to take a snappy decision and express an opinion. You mention it, and she was out there with a battle-axe in hand.

On Ta’ Cenc, however, her reaction time has been tortoise like, which is the reason I smell a rat.

The principle behind any development at Ta’ Cenc was best understood by Din l-Art Helwa: a democratically constituted organisation that may take longer to cry wolf, but one that decides and clearly expresses its opinion when it does.

Other organisations, which normally have been rather direct over anything that happens at Ta’ Cenc – that is Nature Trust and Birdlife Malta – have also been rather meek in their criticism of the proposed extension. I smell a rat, here too.

The whole idea of development at Ta’ Cenc is about principle.

It is about whether development was ever intended in the Structure plan. The answer is ‘No’.

It is incredible that, years after, attempts are still being made to develop part of this area. It underlines the importance of having agencies that set out guidelines for development applications. The agency chosen to administer this town and country policy is MEPA, run by Austin Walker.

He is paid handsomely and his responsibilities are gargantuan.

His responsibility should not be to the developers, the press, the fake greens or the truthful tree huggers. His responsibility is to precedent and policy.

If MEPA allows this to happen, they will continue to set a precedent for more development outside the development zones.

And if Austin Walker waves the green light to more development here, it may mean that he cares nothing for policy.

For once, it could very well be that we might thank MEPA for coming to our rescue … not Astrid Vella for a change!