The Cabinet’s rescheduling of Fekruna Bay has made a mockery of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority and the government’s consultation with residents, says Alternattiva Demokratika.

In a statement, AD said it was concerned about the fact that an ecologically important site in the northwest of Malta has once again been rescheduled following the Cabinet’s recent Rationalisation of Development Boundaries exercise. The site, which falls in one of the proposed extensions to development zones by the government, includes Fekruna Bay – an area that had been excluded from development plans in 1996.

AD environment and rural affairs spokesman Mark Causon commented: “Following the 1996 exclusion, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority had consequently refused an application to build two villas in the Bay in 1998 and, following an appeal by the developer, reasserted its position following recommendations by its Environmental Management Unit in a Report dated 6 December 1999.”

In fact, Mr Causon explained, the Northwest Local Plan published in 2001 had redefined the Development Boundary to exclude Fekruna Bay from future development and had listed Fekruna Bay as a Protected Site. Then in 2002, Mr Causon explained, following concern on the part of the general public and Xemxija residents, Mepa’s marketing executive publicly declared that it “will continue to defend its case for this scheduling to be enforced”.

Mr Causon added: “According to Mepa’s interpretation of the Rationalisation of Development Boundaries Exercise Cabinet Memo, Fekruna Bay is listed in the Development Boundary and therefore will become available for development following Cabinet approval. This makes a mockery of all the recommendations listed in Mepa’s Environment Management Unit 1999 report and the listing of the bay as a Protected Site in the 2001 North West Local Plan.”