6 August 2007 Rating 74% No Comment  

Labour Party leader, Dr Alfred Sant, has said that a new Labour government would use all the legal means at its disposal, both at local and European level, to halt the development planned for Ramla L-Hamra. Dr Sant said that the Ramla l-Hamra site is not only blessed with unique and splendid views, but is also near to a zone where Roman ruins were discovered. We sincerely hope that Dr Sant will now also extend his forthright opposition to all the other mega-developments which are scheduled for Gozo, such as the ones planned for Hondoq ir-Rummien and Ta' Cenc amongst others. During his speech at Ramla, Dr Sant went on to say that the Labour Party is against the project because it is abusive and scandalous and leads to speculation in a zone which is of the utmost natural and historic importance. He added that whilst the interests behind this project are not yet clear, he believes that they are close to the Nationalist Party because if not, there would not have been so many MEPA board members in favour of this project. Dr Sant added that on the 6th of June 2007, the MEPA board approved an application to demolish the existing building known as Ulysses Lodge in Ramla l-Hamra to be replaced by a tourist complex comprising of 23 villas with pools. Of the 11 members sitting on the MEPA board, it was only the MLP representative, Dr Joe Brincat, who voted against. The PN representative, architect Joseph Falzon, voted for the project. Despite the importance of this site, MEPA did not ask the developers to carry out an environmental impact assessment (EIA) by arguing that studies carried out by four archaeologists, commissioned by the developers themselves, showed that there were no archaeological remains on site. Dr Sant pointed out that a week later, these same four archaeologists made it clear that the scope of their studies differed significantly from the aims of the EIA. The four archaeologists insisted that they were never made aware that their study would eventually be attached with the development application. They also believed that their study was based on a proposal for a heritage trail meant to protect archaeological heritage. Dr Sant pointed out that even the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, in a letter sent to MEPA, expressed their concern over the development and its adverse effects on the archaeological heritage of the area. Dr Sant also said that this project will extend the development zone, contrary to what Minister George Pullicino declared a year ago when he said that there will be no further extensions to the development zone. "When Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar then asked MEPA to annul the permit for development at Ramla l-Hamra and called for an enquiry together with the resignation of the chairman and board members, the MEPA chairman responded by announcing that he was boycotting the NGO." Dr Sant also mentioned that, more than two and a half years ago, in March 2005, a member of the Private Secretariat at the Office of the Prime Minister, who is also a member of the MEPA board, intervened on behalf of the developers with MEPA, and was also present at the meeting which took place between the two parties. This person was also one of the ten on the MEPA board who voted in favour of the Ramla l-Hamra development project.