MEPA to decide Friday on substation for Armier 'boathouses'
Environment NGOs have, yet again, voiced their strong opposition to Mepa granting permission to Enemalta to set up an electricity substation serving the 'squatters' village' in Armier.
The decision is due to be taken by Mepa this Friday.
"Common sense instinctively guided the Case Officer to recommend an outright refusal of this application. Apparently the Case Officer has a lot more sense than Enemalta, which should never have submitted this application in the first place," the NGOs said.
They said the squatters are illegally occupying approximately 67,000 sq mt of prime seafront ODZ real estate at Armier bay.
"Enemalta, in their wisdom, have already supplied these 800 beach rooms with electricity, presumably without asking for a compliance certificate from Mepa, as they normally do for ordinary members of the public. Now Enemalta wants to strengthen the electricity supply, so that these squatters will be better served.
"For a member of the European Union that prides itself on its principles of democracy and justice to allow prime land to be illegally seized, and subsequently have this occupation supported by a government entity, is an insult to every tax-paying citizen of these over-exploited islands."
The NGOs - Ramblers Association of Malta, Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Din L-Art Helwa, Malta Organic and Agriculture Movement, Nature Trust Malta, Friends of the Earth Malta and Birdlife Malta urged Mepa to do what is reasonable, right and morally just, and 'throw out this application'.
"Mepa has recently been acting a little more responsibly in withholding permits to applicants who are clearly and blatantly abusing the system. An approval of this application would send out a totally different signal – that of rewarding illegality, and would go down in history as one of the most irresponsible, illegal and unjust precedents that MEPA has ever set."
Today, 20:28
Carmel Lino Vella Clark
MEPA not only MUST refuse Enemalta application to built a more powerful substation, but should order the removal of all illegal boathouses and other illegal constructions which were built on public land. If MEPA sanction this request, then I will be the first to go and built a dwelling for myself since it seems that public land is up for grab for FREE!!!
Lino Vella Clark, Msida.
Paul Camilleri
Today, 18:57
Boathouses at Armier are occupying government owned land, illegaly and to make matters worse, years ago, Enemalta and Water Services Corporation had provided these illegal structures with water and electricity supply. Nowadays, before providing such services, the respective Corporations request a compliance certificate and MEPA building permits in the first instance, otherwise no supply is granted. If MEPA grants permission to build such substation, it would be sanctioning an illegality, thus adopting a two weights and two measures policy with law abiding citizens and illegal boathouse owners
Peter Murray
Today, 18:47
Nothing to decide really if accountability ,sensibiility and reasoning are considerations but ,upon reflection and after much experience, it will probably be approved .How about MEPA determining and establishing a true definition of a boathouse whilst we are at it-along with a penthouse -to completely eschew probity and bring laughter back into our lives?
Joe Vella
Today, 15:56
My take is that Mr Galdes will vote for refusal, so that the PL can make a political game out of it. Doing so it will not be Joseph, cause then the squatters at Armies will be upset with him. He will let others in the Party and the PL media to do the dirty work. Joseph and the Pl should be reminded that the boat houses at Armier where build during the PL administration, and electricity was provided to them by PL administrations. One should wonder why?
city busuttil
Today, 15:49
Is it legal to squat or not? If not, Enemalta, a government entity, would be aiding and abetting law-breakers. Simples. I just hope I would get the same soft treatment when it's my turn.
Ms.D. Galea
Today, 15:47
Why should the squatters village built on public land be sanctioned when sanctioning is denied to regular appartments that were built immediately before the MEPA took over, because they form an integral part of several whole blocks that were built by the original developer more then two decades ago with some internal unauthorized changes (that are impossible to rectify now)?
Present owners of such appartments have found to their horror that their investment is has now been rendered worthless because banks nowadays refuse to give out loans to prospective buyers of such appartments since it is physically and financially next to impossible to comply with recently enacted building regulations.
Owners of such properties ARE VOTERS TOO Messers politicians from BOTH political parties.
J Stafrace
Today, 15:30
Unbelievable - spending public money to provide electricity to persons occupying land illegally. Simply unbelievable, but on the other hand one expects anything from MEPA.
R ferriggi
Today, 15:15
i do not have a problem if the boathouses are removed, as long as all illegal structures are removed.
we cannot be strong with the weak and weak with the strong.
James Tyrrell
Today, 14:27
Unless Malta has suddenly become a third world country there is no decision to be made here. This land is being occupied illegally so how can any Government authority sanction support for that illegality by authorising the construction of a substation to supply them with electricity? This must not be allowed to happen and if it does it should be fought at EU level. Once the decision has been taken not to allow this substation to be built the people occupying the site should be given 3 months to get their stuff removed and then the bulldozers should move in and flatten it.
Jay Oatmon
Today, 16:22
Malta is a third world country, it does what is easy not what is needed, and the politicians are spineless in dealing with lawbreakers in Malta.
Pamela Hansen
Today, 13:35
This country is going to the dogs. Mepa should not even have considered this application.
If it concedes to the demand it will be making illegality legal. http://pamelahansen.blogspot .com
Alan Xuereb
Today, 14:36
It's like setting up a smoking area for joints.
Jay Oatmon
Today, 13:23
No power to the squatters - clear them all out to make Armier a scenic place for all the public - it is that simple.
The PN needs to do this before the next election - which it will probably lose because of the judicial fiasco's and courts sentencing failures, many scandals MEPA, ADT, VAT etc.
M Vella***
Today, 13:01
' Enemalta to set up an electricity substation serving the 'squatters' village' in Armier.'LOL Have we become a worse state than Zimbabwe,Haqqkon Gieh iz-Zarbuna.What is wrong with this country ?
joe briffa
Today, 12:52
There is nothing to decide to be honest ....simply REMOVE,nobody or everybody has the right to occupy land with permits,and those in Mellieha too,and all those along our coastline,inlcuding all construction in the country side (or whats left of it) REMOVE THE MESS
Joe Scerri
Today, 12:48
It all boils down to votes at the end of the day. 800 beach rooms. 800 families. A couple of thousand votes. It's simple really.
Mario Muscat
Today, 19:08
While I agree with you to a certain extent, it doesn't mean that all these people vote to the same party.
M Farrugia
Today, 12:48
What is the labour party opinion about this? Is Rodrick galdes going to vote against this substation as he usually do in most of the cases. We will be pleased to learn whether the L.P. ingovenment will demolish these illegal buildings or else normalise them as a previous L.P. administrations did in the past. Hope to receive an answer now and not before the election.
Philip Hili
Today, 13:29
@ M Farrugia
It is very interesting to know how Rodrick Galdes, a serving MP and a MEPA employee how is going to cast his vote in this matter. Is he after some votes, now that the election is nearing? Or is he going to vote against MEPA proposal as he always did in order to be opposing what MEPA proposes and this go against the squatters? Which side Roderick Galdes is going to side, the squatters' side or the MEPA side????
Siding with MEPA and against the squqtters I think it will be the first time that Roderick Galdes sides with his employer and against his parliamenty seat. Whereas if he sides the squatters, he will be ignoring the peoples' wish in order to accommodate people who occupied public land without any title.
Mr Duncan Scerri
Today, 13:42
What about the almost 25 years of PN failure to do anything, except promise to regularise the boathouses? Would you like that answer before the election? Hang on, you had it last election and the PN sided with the squatters. Twit.