Local environmental NGO Din L-Art Ħelwa (DLĦ) has just revealed that it filed a record number of planning objections throughout 2022.

Amounting to around four objections per day, the organisation filed 1,500 objections just last year alone, close to a third of which concern proposed developments in Gozo. 

“Our ongoing efforts have not been in vain. Despite the odds being undoubtedly stacked against us, Din l-Art Ħelwa has had several victories,” DLĦ executive president Alex Torpiano said.

“We appeal to individuals and companies to assist us with funds as the workload is increasing. We want to be in a position where the victories send a clear message to developers that it is not going to be worth their while to try to flout the law,” he continued.

“Our recent victory against a development in Saqqajja is one example of a Court ruling that will hopefully make other applicants think twice before attempting to break the law: the Court of Appeal confirmed that the Local Plan for an area has to be considered as the law.”

It noted how a  number of worrying trends have unfortunately become widespread, such as how an alarming number of townhouses attributed to Malta’s distinct early 20th-century urban areas are being demolished and replaced by apartment blocks. 

It also referred to a number of major projects including multi-storey hotels towering over residential areas; and the craze for building five-storey apartment blocks in Gozo’s low-lying neighbourhoods.

The sheer number of cases has of course led to an overwhelming increase in the HEP team’s workload. After monitoring all the applications, the team creates the shortlist for objections and must follow up on each of these cases.

This entails attending Planning Board meetings when possible and, if necessary, filing appeals in the hope of overturning the approved developments which are deemed to be unjustifiably detrimental.

Meanwhile, in 2022, DLĦ filed a total of 13 appeals in front of the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal. 

DLĦ is also contributing to the appeal filed against the Environment and Resources Authority’s approval of the Environmental Impact Assessment of the proposed Comino village and hotel development.

Well done Din L-Art Ħelwa for all your efforts to safeguard Malta’s environment!