The Environment and Planning Review Tribunal has confirmed the revocation of the permit PA/7946/18 for the sham sheep farm – a massive multi-storey building with reception areas and a swimming pool – in the pristine Bidnija Valley, an entirely rural Outside Development Zone (ODZ) featuring ecologically important freshwater habitats.
NGOs Moviment Graffitti and Din l-Art Ħelwa had filed an appeal in relation to a decision by the Planning Authority, which had revoked the permit but ordered the application to be reprocessed. The NGOs argued that once the Planning Authority had revoked the permit, it could not order the application to be reprocessed and revived.
The NGOs also insisted that additional reasons for revocation should be included – particularly the omission of the site’s scheduled status from the relevant forms. This omission, they argued, resulted in the public not being adequately informed about the sensitive nature of the site and the special policies applicable to such scheduled sites.
The Tribunal agreed with the appellant NGOs and ruled that the permit should be definitively revoked for the reasons outlined in the appeal.
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It-Tribunal tal-Ippjanar Jikkonferma r-Revoka tal-Permess għar-“Razzett tan-Nagħaġ” fil-Bidnija
It-Tribunal ta’ Reviżjoni tal-Ambjent u l-Ippjanar ikkonferma r-revoka tal-permess PA/7946/18 għall-hekk imsejjaħ “razzett tan-nagħaġ” – bini enormi b’għadd ta’ sulari, żoni ta’ reception u pixxina – dan kollu fil-wied intatt tal-Bidnija, f’żona rurali li tinsab kompletament Barra miż-Żona tal-Żvilupp (ODZ) u li fiha abitat ta’ ilma ħelu ta’ importanza ekoloġika.
L-NGOs Moviment Graffitti u Din l-Art Ħelwa ressqu appell kontra deċiżjoni tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar, li kienet irrevokat il-permess iżda ordnat li l-applikazzjoni tiġi pproċessata mill-ġdid. L-NGOs argumentaw li ladarba l-Awtorità kienet irrevokat il-permess, ma setgħetx tordna li l-applikazzjoni terġa’ tiġi pproċessata.
L-NGOs insistew ukoll li kellhom jiġu inklużi raġunijiet addizzjonali għar-revoka – b’mod partikolari l-fatt li l-istatus skedat tas-sit ma ġiex indikat fuq il-formoli rilevanti. Dan in-nuqqas, sostnew, wassal biex il-pubbliku ma ġiex infurmat b’mod adegwat dwar in-natura sensittiva tas-sit u l-politiki speċjali li japplikaw għal siti skedati bħal dawn.
It-Tribunal qabel mal-NGOs li appellaw u ddeċieda li l-permess għandu jiġi revokat b’mod definittiv għar-raġunijiet imsemmija fl-appell.
