Cassola Requests Copies Of Minutes Of Planning Minister And PA Regarding Decision To Review St George’s Bay Local Plans
Independent politician Arnold Cassola has requested copies of the minutes of meetings within the Executive Council of the Planning Authority (PA) as well as any ministerial requests for the review or amendment of the St George’s Bay Local Plans.
More specifically, Cassola is asking for a copy of the minutes of the meeting or meetings of the Executive Council wherein it was decided to review/change/amend the Local Plan for the Villa Rosa site. The inclusion of dates as well as members present were also requested.
Secondly, he called for a copy of any request in writing made by Minister for Gozo and Planning Clint Camilleri wherein he requested the Executive Council to review/change/amend the Local Plan for the Villa Rosa site, containing the Minister’s reasons for making such a request together with a statement of goals and objectives to be attained by the plan or policy or by a revision of such plan or policy.
The decision to review the St George’s Bay local plans for the Villa Rosa project triggered fierce criticism across the island.
Hundreds of citizens were worried that the local plans review would allow for the multiplication of the project since Camilleri currently has pending plans to increase it dramatically.
NGO Il-Kollettiv called for Lands Minister Silvio Schembri to be investigated for the price this piece of land – as well as the one of the Villa Heights development – was sold.
Camilleri’s initial application was approved in 2018 but his current one is awaiting a final decision and it intends to develop a 34-storey tower and two 27-storey ones overlooking St George’s Bay. These plans were submitted on the basis of the current local plans, according to the developers.
That being said, the owners of the development pledged to reduce the height outlined in the application.
Among the promises made in a statement issued last week, the owners said they’ll establish the building heights to ensure that no future applications will include additional floors, retain the gross floor area within what is allowable for the Villa Rosa area under current policies, create a new public open space, and withdraw any development in the currently approved permit to protect environmentally sensitive areas. They will also commit to “rehabilitating and safeguarding these areas” and plant indigenous trees within the project.
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