In its statement, Nature Trust said it is “morally appalled that the person responsible for coordinating important planning decisions, namely the outgoing chairperson of Mepa’s DCC, is so brazen faced as to submit an own application in what is mostly an Outside Development Zone at Lunzjata Valley, Gozo.”

The NGO understands that as an architect by profession, the chairman has every right to submit such an application, but for years environmental NGOs have urged Mepa not to consider applications in sites not scheduled for development according to the Structure Plan (namely applications outside development zones).

In line with the recent practice by Mepa of being tougher on such applications, Nature Trust has urged the other DCC board members to vote against the application and requested morally sound behaviour on the part of high-ranking officials. This outside development zone application by the DCC chairman, said Nature Trust, is the latest example of officials in public offices who set citizens a bad example and give the country an horrific reputation.

In its reply, Mepa said that the members of the Development Control Commission are, like Mepa board members, governed by the code of ethics for employees in the public sector.

When an architect has a planning application on which he or she must decide personally, this is clearly a case of conflict of interest. In such cases, the member declares a professional interest and withdraws from the meeting, said Mepa. The members are free to discuss and come to a decision as they see fit. In the event that such an application comes up for reconsideration, it may then be defended by the architect.

This is standard practice, said Mepa, and it should be pointed out that the members of the Development Control Commission, including the chairman of the DCC, are paid an honorarium not a salary and are not precluded from practising their professions.

Mepa said that they are reserving all rights for further action.