NGO Seeks To Revoke Controversial Permit For Sannat Penthouses
NGO Din l-Art Ħelwa is taking a stand against the Planning Authority’s approval of a permit that sanctioned two penthouses in Sannat, previously deemed illegal by the court.
The NGO has officially filed an application to revoke the permit.
This issue traces back several years, starting with an application (PA2035/21) to develop 29 apartments, 20 basement garages, and a pool in a site in Sannat.
The NGO fought against this development in court, and in March 2024, the Court of Appeal ruled that the approved pool and penthouse floor level should not have been sanctioned.
Consequently, the permit for these was revoked. However, despite the court’s decision, the pool and penthouses had already been constructed.
A third party then filed an application to retroactively sanction two of the illegal penthouses, which the NGO argued was processed in a “secretive and opaque manner” through an expedited summary process.
The NGO pointed out that the application made no mention of the previous permit revocation by the court. Furthermore, according to Din l-Art Ħelwa, the Planning Authority approved the application despite it not complying with existing plans and policies—a move they describe as a complete disregard for the rule of law.
“The Planning Authority has acted with complete disregard of the rule of law, making itself complicit in rule-breaking and abusive practices. DLĦ will not turn a blind eye to this flagrant disregard of the law.”
“The Planning Authority must be reined in and the individuals responsible for this shameful episode must bear responsibility for their actions,” the NGO’s executive president Patrick Calleja stated.
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