Not suprisingly, the Malta Developers Association said that it agrees with the Mepa demerger, a position that is starkly opposite to that taken by environment groups.

In a statement, the MDA notes the controversy that has arisen on Government plans to remove the responsibility for safeguarding the environment from Malta Environment and Planning Authority.

Although this new system can lead to fresh difficulties for those applying for a building permit, the MDA agrees with this proposal because in fact the environment will be stronger and on an equal footing with the Planning Authority and not subservient to it.

So much so, that the Environment Authority will have the right to appeal decisions of the Planning Authority – something that is impossible today when the environment is subservient to planning.

Despite all this, the MDA disagrees that the Building Regulations Office should form part of the Planning Authority since it feels that this should remain a separate authority from that which issues permits.

Above all, the MDA notes that, even without the responsibility for the environment, there are going to be two members on the Board of the Planning Authority who are environmentalists while the MDA will continue to be denied representation on this board – a situation that the MDA feels is unjust in its regard.