د . إAEDSRر . س

‘I Find It Kind Of Funny, I Find It Kind Of Sad’: Maltese Activist Speaks Out After Planning Authority Controversy

Article Featured Image

Robert Louis Fenech, the environmental activist who was removed from a public Planning Authority meeting after not using the term ‘Professor’ to refer to a member of the board, has spoken out about his treatment and the way environmental authorities work in Malta.

“It’s great that people are becoming more aware of the negative impacts of abusive development,” he said to Lovin Malta. “We all lose when our land gets taken up, and maybe until recently only those educated in a particular field or who were directly concerned took notice. Now that practically everyone has been and is being impacted by abusive development, things might change.”

The Planning Authority meet every Thursday at their offices in Floriana to vote on approving developments. However, you’d be mistaken if you thought the Planning Authority board varied in their opinion: the board has a 90% approval rate for developments.

Indeed, from the 75 applications the board voted on in 2017, 68 were approved and only 7 were rejected.

Ironically, two of the members who regularly voted against developments were both involved in yesterday’s fiasco – Environment and Resources Authority chairman Professor Victor Axiak voted not to approve a development 25 times in 2017, and Chairman Vincent Cassar himself voted no 18 times. 

“Well, you could bet on an application being turned down by the board, but you won’t get good odds, since there’s a 90% chance the development will be approved. That’s better odds than Juventus losing a Champions League final,” he said wryly.

He turned to the proposed development at Delimara that yesterday’s board meeting had voted on. Unsurprisingly, after Robert was escorted out by police, the development at Kalanka Bay was approved.

“The process for this development has been going on for a while – in this case, since 2016,” he said. “Over 400 people sent in their objection to the development, but these were presented in half-a-slide of bullet points during a presentation by the case officer.”

“On the other hand, the developers are allowed an hour to present their project with all the details, even including photos of that dog jumping with the man at St Peter’s Pool and other tourist attractions in the area, as if presenting their project to an investor. I was cut short, and other objectors were treated with disdain while speaking, with an attitude of ‘get on with it’ emanating from members of the board as activists raised their points,” he said.

However, Robert was heartened by the sheer amount of messages and support he received yesterday after news of his removal went viral.

“Apart from the many people who sent messages of support, which I am truly thankful for, a number of people have asked me to tell them about any upcoming meetings where abusive development is expected to be approved,” he said.

Funnily enough, even though Chairman Vincent Cassar had told Lovin Malta that the reason he asked for Robert’s removal was because he repeatedly did not use ‘Professor’ to address board members, the Planning Authority uploaded a statement today saying that is not the case. 

“I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad. Vincent says he threw me out for not saying ‘Professor’. The PA issues a statement saying that the chairman is mistaken.
When people run in circles, it’s a mad world,” he said.

Do you agree with Robert’s points?

READ NEXT: WATCH: Police And Rapid Intervention Unit Called In After Maltese Activist Forgot To Call Someone ‘Professor’

Johnathan is an award-winning Maltese journalist interested in social justice, politics, minority issues, music and food. Follow him at @supreofficialmt on Instagram, and send him news, food and music stories at [email protected]

You may also love

View All