“The swimming pool at the side of the valley is not only destructive in its own right; being situated in the lush valley, it would also set a precedent that would be disastrous, as it would give other developments along the ridge grounds for swimming pool permits,” it said.

This point has already been made resoundingly by various objectors to the proposed development, including the Xagħra Local Council, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, and the Environment and Resources Authority.

“The Planning Authority’s own technical report also recommended refusal. Incredulously, however, the Planning Commission instead asked the developer to make minor tweaks to the plan, and will now decide on the application tomorrow.”

“After the political party elected to government promised in its manifesto to protect the peripheries of villages from destructive developments, granting a permit tomorrow would be politically damaging and send the wrong message.”

The NGOs also stressed that it is of crucial importance to translate such promises into action, particularly in a case such as this, emphasising that it should have already been refused given the breaches of planning policies and the damage that it is set to bring. 

“The country cannot go on like this, falling to one low after another when it comes to development. It is outrageous that the Planning Authority still finds it so hard to protect sensitive landscapes situated in the supposedly protected Outside Development Zone even as the government itself promises to do so.”

“This planning application should have never got this far in the first place,” it stressed. 

The NGOs also called for the amendment of the Rural Policy and Design Guidance of 2014, which provides the planning context for applications such as those for swimming pools.

“The government had said it would reform this policy to close loopholes for developments in the countryside almost two years ago. But the promised reform has never been implemented.”

What do you make of the NGOs’ statement?