A monster tent is bound for Malta, all 150 metres of it, to be erected on the Ta’ Qali runway, reported Gerald Fenech (TMIS, 22 January). Once there, he wrote, it will seat 10,000 and provide bathrooms, kitchens and temperature control. To what end? A conference centre is the titular explanation but insiders mention large concerts organised by music groups that are “household names” and religious gatherings.

Where this behemoth would actually settle is directly next to the fine vineyards of the Meridiana Wine Estate. Talk about an odd couple! How could that be?

The reported “government permit” to Sign-It Ltd to erect this “temporary, semi-permanent structure” appears somewhat out of joint. The permit approved is a DNO, a Development Notification Order, meant to allow such “temporary and ancillary structures” as wedding tents, tents for large picnics, parties and the like.

This tent, on the other hand, is the largest event facility ever erected in Malta. Never before has Malta had a structure with such a huge seating capacity. Its height is that of three double-decker buses. As such, it will block the sunshine on the Meridiana Wine Estate vineyard, impinge on the ecosystem, disrupt the area’s precarious water drainage system, and constrain the critical circulation of air among the grapes and vines, among other negative effects. Apparently, the permit was approved without consultation with Meridiana.

What makes Meridiana Wine Estate so important is that when launched in the early 1990s, it was the only Maltese vineyard growing wine grapes exclusively for wine – not table grapes for wine – and was one of the few growing sustainable vineyards.

Meridiana met and exceeded European Union standards before Malta began its EU deliberations. Meridiana never adulterated its wine with sugar, water or other substances. It has always produced pure Maltese vintages. Its fine wines result from careful growing methods, careful positioning of the rows, careful calculations of light and shade and delicate tempering of wind directions.

Now that Malta has joined the EU, instead of plaudits for Meridiana, along comes MEPA’s permit for an event tent that will overbear this national asset. And it appears that in permitting it, MEPA is playing fast and loose with the rules.

I understand why countries want convention centres but I also respect that Meridiana’s carefully located vineyard has gained significant international acclaim for Maltese wines. What confuses me is why MEPA doesn’t avoid the potential problems here altogether by identifying a new tent location instead of contriving a dubious loophole through which to squeeze a questionable permit. On a small island where interests and needs can easily collide, sensitive accommodation certainly seems the more reasonable route for MEPA to pursue.

Barbara Bode

XAGHRA