The Government has tabled a bill that will severely undermine the ability of  residents to oppose over-development. Alarmingly, this was done without any public consultation and during the summer recess — a time when public scrutiny is at its lowest.

The proposed amendments appear to be directly aimed at bypassing  a series of recent court judgements that have upheld planning and environmental safeguards. Specific laws have been carefully modified to ensure that similar future permits – no matter how harmful or objectionable – will avoid the same legal scrutiny.

If passed, the Planning Board will have sweeping powers to approve developments, even those that directly contradict established planning policies. Residents and stakeholders will be practically stripped of their right to effectively appeal these decisions, regardless of the the damage they may cause to their communities or the environment.

These bills amount to a direct attack on the democratic rights of the people of Malta and Gozo. They will dismantle hard-won safeguards meant to protect our homes, quality of life, and heritage.  Instead, they will pave the way for unchecked, destructive development, and silence those who have long stood up for a more sustainable and just future.

Din l-Art Ħelwa urges the public and all concerned stakeholders to stand together and demand that these bills be withdrawn.