Letters | Sunday, 30 November 2008

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What happened to MEPA reform?

Joe Felice Pace, the well-known analytical writer, deserves to be congratulated on his intelligent articled carried in ‘talking point’ of The Times of 16 October 2008. He rightly laments the lack of any effective protection given to third parties, especially to adjacent neighbours who have suffered death and destruction, air and noise pollution so that developers can become richer at the expense of the long-term suffering of distressful neighbours.
MEPA’s Enforcement Unit needs to be re-enforced by more trained manpower and dedicated finance. Hirelings generally cause damage about which developers couldn’t care less, and never repair. When it comes to the final (DPA 356) MEPA verification, no blend of painting would camouflage the actual fact that the developer had completely and deliberately flouted MEPA’s instructions to construct roof structures, like innumerable roof washrooms (with concrete verandas overlooking neighbour’s gardens) and roof dividing walls, only in Malta-stone prohibiting the use of cement bricks. Set a thief to catch a thief!
Construction site management still leaves much, too much, to be desired. It has lately become fashionable for small developers (others cannot do so) to cite their children as an excuse for their dangerous demolition, noisy excavation and dirty constructing activities, worth thousands of euros, but it cuts no ice with motivated profit-making individuals or with real estate agents.
Distressed neighbours await, with justified anxiety, MEPA’s reform by the Prime Minister. Mr Felice Pace finally suggests that these reforms should be enforced retroactively for five years, with which I fully agree.

A Camilleri
Sliema

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