The explosion of building areas being considered for overspill into the Maltese and Gozitan countryside has shocked me.

This urbanisation of rural areas will be the beginning of the end for any planning sense and rational governance.

A large number of the proposed sites are fertile agricultural land that grows our vegetables and fodder for our farm animals. The excuse that agricultural land not nourished by natural water is a no-go in the farming community does not make any sense, except to please a handful of speculators and developers.

Some of the land in question is also home to archaeological remains, some is in prime natural garigue state and some is within valley boundaries.

A mere glance at the proposals for Mgarr, Mellieha, Marsascala, Qrendi, Zurrieq, Birzebbuga – the list is endless – confirms that we will be destroying what we have.

But we learn that we are lucky enough to have the Maghtab rubbish dump turned into a national park, while the government, according to its proposals will then destroy Malta’s only existing national park, ie Ta’ Qali, by turning it into a trade fair area. Maghtab is good enough for the popolin to use for their Sunday picnics (never mind the toxic waste underneath) but it’s not good enough for the toffs to play golf on. Incredible but true.

Mark Causon

PEMBROKE