The Ramblers Association of Malta advise that despite the evident damage being done to the pristine Bahrija valley, works are still being carried out by the owner (see attached pictures).

As a reminder, applicant Victor Scerri, in the name of his wife Ms Marthese Said, filed four applications, each one more audacious than the previous one:

PA 02835/2000

PA 06321/2002

PA 05846 /2004

PA 07719/2006

All applications were recommended for refusal by the Planning Directorate, as they all run counter to numerous provisions of the Structure Plan and other regulations, policies and guidelines. All recommendations for refusal were overturned by the DCC (Development Control Commission) and permits were issued for each one. However, after protests by ENGOs, the last permit was overturned by the MEPA board in August 2009, invoking Article 39A of the Development Planning Act.

RAM still believes that all four permits should have been withdrawn, and not just the last one. In any case, RAM believes that the 2002 PA permit, issued in January 2003, is long past its five-year validity period, and had therefore expired long before the works started. Furthermore the 2004 application did not ask for an extension of the 2003 permit, but simply “to delete Condition 3 in order to confirm with condition 1 in PA 6321/02″. This has also been brought to the attention of the MEPA chairman.

In view of the above, RAM is again calling on the PM, as the minister responsible for MEPA, and as the head of the current government, to use whatever jurisdiction he has over MEPA to stop the works forthwith.

It RAM’s view, this government is being totally unscrupulous in allowing this development in such an area, clearly in breach of innumerable regulations, policies and guidelines, under the guise that MEPA is an independent authority.

Ramblers Association of Malta