27 July 2007 Rating 3% No Comment  

Commenting on the return of the Ta' Cenc project to the spotlight of public scrutiny, Dr Harry Vassallo said that "yet another project outside the development zone is now being reluctantly exposed to public scrutiny. The slow attrition on the Ta' Cenc project since 1996 has exhausted the public and civil society organizations, which have had to battle revision after revision of a project which should have been put out of its misery many years ago. The public is now only being given until the 14th of August to comment on the latest version which is proposing less than the original 106 villas". "It is still more than three times bigger than the Ramla atrocity but its advocates seem to hope that they can haggle about ODZ development with the persistence of flea market operators, especially since the aftermath of the present consultation will lead to a final decision being taken in the media chaos of an election campaign" Dr Vassallo added. John Mizzi, AD councilor on the Sannat Local Council said that "The general public is advised that the Technical Reports are available to anyone who would like to scrutinize the environmental impact statement, copies of the application and plans at our Local Council in Sannat, the offices of the MEPA in Floriana, and in Victoria Gozo, during office hours as well as on the MEPA website. Anyone who wishes to make representations about this application should write to the Director of Environment Protection, MEPA or e-mail eiamalta@mepa.org.mt copied to our local council on sannat.lc@gov.mt by the eve of Santa Maria, that is the 14th August, 2007." Mr. Mizzi said that "Among the reports one can read that if the government allows this permit, noise and vibrations shall be critical factors during construction works, given the presence of cliff birds, the nesting patterns of which could be affected by vibrations, guests and noise pollution. Moreover Sannat residents shall face a source of inconvenience due to the heavy duty vehicles passing through the streets for the years to come." Victor Galea AD Secretary General and Spokesperson for Gozo said that "The Ta' Cenc proposed development is not merely a matter between the developer, the Minister and MEPA. The Ta' Cenc plateau and coastal cliffs have been identified as an important Bird Area (IBA) of EU importance. Alternattiva Demokratika will continue to fight for the rights of the common citizens and the rule of law in every sphere. We believe that the economy of Gozo will benefit much more from sustainable long term projects rather than further construction and land exploitation on the eve of every general election."