‘Cheated By The System’: Vibe FM’s Frank Zammit Files Judicial Letter Over ‘Monstrous’ Development Next Door
Vibe FM’s Frank Zammit, the owner of a Pieta property within an Urban Conservation Area, has filed a judicial letter over a ‘monstrous’ development next door which has undermined the value and quality of his property.
Following his filing of an appeal against the development, the house was already demolished and built before a decision by the Court of Appeal had even been taken.
“I spent four years putting together the home of my dreams, carefully converting a townhouse within a UCA into a sustainable living arrangement only to be cheated by the system that should be in place to make sure our streetscapes and townhouses are looked after!” Frank Zammit told Lovin Malta.
The main issue behind this development is the fact that it is set to completely block out any sunlight to Zammit’s property, rendering his newly installed solar panels “useless”.
“I have gone from being fully sustainable to having solar panels rendered useless,” he told the newsroom.
Apart from Zammit along with other residents previously objecting to the development, the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage had also brought forward its objections given that the site falls within the UCA, intended to conserve the existing buildings.
Zammit’s situation is far from new, with many residents all over Malta experiencing similar situations with high-rising buildings towering over houses.
Zammit has therefore now filed a judicial letter against the PA, ERPT and the State Advocate, together with his lawyer Claire Bonello, asking for them to step forward with a ten-day timeframe given to do so.
The application was originally filed back in 2018, for it to then be officially given the go-ahead in April 2020, regardless of all the objections brought forward. The development outlined the demolishing of a townhouse within UCA in Pieta for it to be replaced by a Maisonette, with a basement and seven overlying apartments.
Following the objections being ignored, Zammit then appealed to the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal, which resulted in the permit being suspended for three months. The tribunal then rejected the appeal a few months down the line.
After his appeal was rejected, Zammit brought the case forward to the Court of Appeal, which found that the tribunal had not made the decision properly and hence was sent back to the tribunal.
It was only until 30th June that the case was resumed, and the house next door had long been demolished with works going forward uninterrupted.
The developer had also refused to present his arguments, leading to even more postponements after he requested to present the arguments in writing rather than orally.
To this day, the final decision of the ERPT is yet to be announced, however, the new building is now long completed.
Zammit’s lawyer is now arguing that the inexcusable delay negatively affected Zammit’s right of appeal, which is why now a judicial letter has been filed.
If you have experienced anything similar in terms of development in Malta, do not hesitate to get in contact with us at [email protected]
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