The overwhelming majority of respondents think that the development overlooking Ramla l-Hamra should not go ahead, according to an online poll on The Malta Independent website.

The week-long poll, which closed on Tuesday, asked readers whether or not they agreed that the Ramla L-Hamra development should go ahead.

The majority of the participants, 88 per cent, said that the development should not go ahead, while the remaining 12 per cent said that it should.

One reader called for the resignation of the Mepa board. Others, however, were not so harsh and said that Mepa needs to be reconstructed, “with an environment authority that vetoes and overrides any incompetence by a subordinate Planning Authority.”

One respondent called for leaving a portion of Gozo untouched and pointed out that Malta has lost its uniqueness due to all the development taking place.

Many readers appealed to the authorities to reconsider the approval of the development, adding that it is one of the very few areas in Malta and Gozo, by the sea, that is still unspoiled.

One respondent said that the NGOs had moved too late against this development.

“Once an outline permit is granted, it is almost impossible for Mepa to deny a full permit, provided that the developer has stayed within the conditions of the outline permission,” he said.

Furthermore, these issues should have been raised during the hearing of the outline development permit, as “now its almost too late”.