Immediately after the Mepa Board’s rejection of the application by the developers of the Portomaso project to build 50 apartments in the protected ecological area between the sea and the scheduled historic entrenchment wall built by the Knights, the developers locked the gate providing public access to the ecological area and the marina.

This is in direct contravention of the conditions of the original Portomaso permits and the approved drawings, which clearly show a public right-of-way connecting Spinola Road to the marina promenade, through the gate that is now locked and that bears a printed sign saying “No Entry”. Mepa is therefore obliged to issue an enforcement notice to the developers, requesting them to immediately re-open the gate, failing which Mepa should resort to direct action to enforce the public’s right of access. I trust that failure by Mepa to take any action to date is nothing but an oversight.

After all, the developers have been given permits by Mepa for a huge development, against which Mepa insisted on this public right of way, and the developers have no right to take away from the public its right for enjoyment of the pathway to the marina. Mepa must insist on our rights.

C. Camilleri

ST JULIAN’S