The Planning Authority recently refused permits for an Iklin fuel station on the basis that it is less than 500 metres from an existing fuel station.

This was a no brainer and there is no point in praising the PA for refusing the permit flat out. The policy clearly states that new fuel stations cannot be located in such close proximity to existing ones so there was really no other choice but to turn down the application. During the same hearing on Thursday, the PA board also turned down an outline development permit for another fuel station in Zebbug, for the same exact reason.

While the policy was correctly applied in both cases and the applications were turned down, we still cannot understand why the PA is still deciding on applications when parliament is so close to adopting a revised fuel stations policy. Because what might be acceptable today might not be acceptable the next week. One of the changes to the revised policy, in fact, will be to extend the minimum distance between fuel stations from 500 metres to 1.5 kilometres.

If one of the aforementioned fuel stations had been proposed on a site 505 metres away from an existing petrol station they might have been given the green light, even if the minimum distance will be tripled under the upcoming regulations.

This situation is not that different from what is happening in Paceville, where mega projects are being approved despite the lack of amasterplan for the area. Residents are right in being concerned by the threat of towering hotels and skyscrapers when a holistic policy concerning not just the construction, but also measures related to traffic management does not yet exist.

The feeble attempt at a master plan by government was one aimed at pleasing certain developers rather than the Maltese public as a whole, and in fact angered large portions of the Maltese population. As such it was sent back to the drawing board. But government also, in a sense, failed the public with that attempt and in taking so long to present a masterplan to benefit the public has again failed not just the residents of Sliema, Pembroke, St Julian's and Swieqi, but the whole island given that many of the eyesores will be visible from some of Malta's most scenic viewpoints.

Residents of Pembroke and St Julian's voiced these concerns recently at a public meeting with the developers and again at a protest at the former ITS site in Pembroke. A number of activists and some politicians, mainly from the Opposition side, joined the residents, but some familiar faces were missing. Many district MPs - both PN and PL - were conspicuously absent. So were top officials from both main political parties. Some even mentioned that environment minister Jose Herrera, who was so vociferous against the Chiscwick school project (also in Pembroke) was nowhere to be seen on Wednesday. Why did the minister feel the need to protest against a school that is being proposed on public land, but not against a massive private hotel project that will effectively bury residents in the area?

Why is the Labour Party so conspicuously absent from the issue? Does it not also represent residents from this district?

Some pointed out that former PN Leader Simon Busuttil's participation in the protest was 'rich' coming from the person who was accused of taking donations from Siivio Debono's db Group. But at least he was there. The only Labour official who took part was Pembroke mayor Dean Hili, who has been on the side of the residents from day one. But he has been left on his own by his party.

This might probably have something to do with the fact that this project has been pushed by the government - which has also defended the controversial land transfer deal. This is not happening only in Pembroke but across the entire island. Politicians are always eager to beg for votes when some election is looming but it seems that when the powerful developers lobby is involved - the same lobby that donates to both political parties - the same politicians shy away and stay in the shadows. The country is slowly being engulfed by the ugly concrete jungle and, in our book, those who do not take a stand against this are to be considered accomplices in the destruction.