The Malta Developers Association has taken note of the action of a number of activists who managed to undermine a public meeting of the Planning Authority during which an application for a petrol station was to be discussed.
MDA believes that issues such as this one should not lead to any illegal pressure on PA board members. Whatever the issue, all decisions need to be taken in serenity without any type of pressure.
MDA has always condemned developers who take the law in their hands and believes that the rule of law should apply to everybody. In this sense, MDA condemns also the way these activists acted, while recognising their right to protest and have their voices heard. The manner in which these activists behaved excluded the possibility of a fair hearing about the development application being considered.
MDA reminds everybody that it had not agreed with the policy proposed for petrol stations when this was open for public consultation while others did not realise how detrimental this policy would be to the environment.
While agreeing that some policies, including that on petrol stations, should be revised, MDA feels that one has to consider as well the rights of those who invest money in property and apply for development according to existing policies to ensure that there is no discrimination or injustice in their regard.
6 April 2018
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L-MDA tikkundanna kull pressjoni illegali fuq l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar
Il-Malta Developers Association (MDA) tinnota li numru ta’ attivisti irnexxielhom jisfrattaw laqgħa pubblika tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar li fiha kellha tkun diskussa applikazzjoni għal petrol station.
L-MDA temmen li kwestjonijiet bħal dawn m’għandhomx iwasslu biex issir pressjoni illegali fuq il-membri tal-Awtorità. Tkun xi tkun il-kwestjoni, id-deċiżjonijiet jeħtieġ li jittieħdu bil-kalma u mingħajr ebda pressjoni ta’ tip jew oħra.
L-MDA dejjem ikkundannat żviluppaturi li jaqbdu u jieħdu l-liġi f’idejhom u temmen li s-saltna tad-dritt (rule of law) tapplika għal kulħadd. F’dan id-dawl, l-MDA tirrikonoxxi d-dritt tagħhom li jipprotestaw u jsemmu leħinhom, tikkundanna aġir ta’ dan it-tip. Bil-mod kif aġixxew dawn l-attivisti ma setax ikun hemm smiegħ ġust (fair hearing) dwar l-applikazzjoni għall-iżvilupp li kellha tkun ikkunsidrata.
L-MDA tfakkar li hi stess ma qablitx mal-proposta dwar il-policy fuq il-petrol stations meta din kienet miftuħa għal konsultazzjoni pubblika, filwaqt li oħrajn ma irrealizzawx kemm din il-policy kienet potenzjalment ta’ ħsara għall-ambjent.
Filwaqt li l-MDA taqbel li hemm bżonn li jiġu riveduti xi policies, fosthom tal-fuel stations, wieħed irid ukoll jikkonsidra d-drittijiet ta’ min ikun investa u applika skond policies viġenti biex ma ssirx diskriminazzjoni u inġustizzja kontrih.
6 ta’ April 2018