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Permessi MEPA – Bethlehem f’Ghajnsielem
Il-MEPA qed issemmi li l-applikazzjoni l-ġdida (il-full application) tinkludi faċilitajiet permanenti u fl-istess nifs qed ittenni li trid tanalizza applikazzjoni għal żvilupp ODZ bir-reqqa. B’hekk qed taghti l-impressjoni li dawn il-binjiet li applika għalihom il-Kunsill huma ODZ meta dawn huma fiż-żona ta’ żvilupp. Ma semmiex lanqas li dawn l-facilitajiet permanenti jikkonsistu f’visitors center li parti minnu fi zmien il-Milied kien se jigi ikkonvertiti fil-grotta tal-bambin. Dan dejjem kien ha jsir fiz-zona tal-izvilipp
Il-MEPA qalet li f’Settembru 2011 talbet lill-Kunsill li jibgħat pjanti ġodda, informazzjoni oħra u studju ambjentali u qalet li l-aħħar informazzjoni ġiet sottomessa f’Settembru 2012. Pero tajjeb jisemma li ahna bħala kunsill isomottejna l-applikazzjoni oriġinali f’April 2011 u l-iscreening letter ħarġet f’Settembru 2011. Tajjeb jissema wkoll li minn dakinhar ntlabna nibdlu l-istudju ambjentali 4 darbiet, li ntbaghtitilna korrispondenza (ittri u emails) 6 darbiet b’talbiet ta’ pjanti u nformazzjoni ġdida, li saru 5 meetings mal-MEPA u li l-Kunsill baghat korrispondenza 10 darbiet bejn ħlasijiet, pjanti ġodda u studji ġodda. Sallum, il-Kunsill Lokali t’Għajnsielem għadlanqas biss għandu il-PA number. Wiehed seta facilment jifhem li l-Kunsill kien wieqaf għal sena sħiħa meta dan verament ma kienx il-każ.
Tajjeb hawnhekk inzid wkoll li iz-zewg laqghat li saru dan l-ahhar mad-Direttur tal-ippjanar u mac-Chairman hallew rizultati pozzitivi sabiex il-process jithhafef.
Il-MEPA qalet li m’għandna l-ebda problema li toħroġ il-permess tas-soltu fuq bażi ta’ DNO. Pero bil-premezz ta’ DNO li huwa wiehed temporanju, dan ma kiens ser isolvi mill-problemi loġistiċi li l-Fondazzjoni qed tiltaqa magħhom biex isir dan l-avveniment. Vera li ħarġet enforcement darba għax parti mill-istrutturi ma ġewx żarmati kompletament, pero illum il-gurnata dawn l-istess strutturi tnehhw. Liema NGO ser tibqa ssib voluntieri biex jarmaw u jżarmaw kollox mil-qiegħ? Mil-banda l-oħra l-approvazzjoni tal-full development application tiffaċilita ħafna x-xogħol tagħhom għax kieku ħafna mix-xogħol li jsir kull sena jkun jista jsir permamenti, bħall passaġġi, water feature, pond tal-papri, animal shed, railing, ħitan tas-sejjieħ u dwal. B’hekk is-sit ikun jista jintuża bħala park rurali għal bqija tas-sena.
ENGLISH
In their statement, MEPA mentioned that the full application will include a number of permanent facilities to accommodate the operations of the Local Council, other facilities and structures while adding that this is a an ODZ area. One might easily get the impression that these facilitates will be built outside the development zone when the truth is that these will be built within the development scheme outside the boundaries where the Bethlehem f’Ghajnsielem event was being held. It must be said that these facilitites include a visitors center that during the Christmas period will be partially turned into a grotto.
MEPA mentioned that in September 2011 it had asked the Local Council to submit fresh plans and that in latest information required was submitted in September 2012. However it omitted to say the original application was submitted in April 2011 and the screening letter was received in September 2011. One might get the impression the council did not do anything during the past 12 months when during this period we were asked to change the envoirmental study report 4 times, there were 6 other correspondences for further clarifications on the plans submitted, 5 meetings were held with MEPA officials and another 10 correspondences regarding further studies, payment and other information requested.
Having said that, it is also worth pointing out that today, almost a year and a half after the original application was submitted, the Ghajnsielem Local Council still does not have a PA Number.
However, it must be also said that two fruitful meetings were recently held, one with the MEPA Director and the other with the chairman so the application can be process more quickly
MEPA is still willing to assist the event by issuing a DNO permit. However, logistical problems from the ‘Fondazzjoni Bethlehem f’Ghajnsielem’ made it difficult for this year’s event to take place in consideration of the substantial work involved. An enforcement notice was issued by MEPA since the temporary structures from last year’s event were not dismantled within the stipulated period. These structures were dismantled last summer. However this situation was creating extra pressure on the volunteers, most of which are also involved in other local NGOs.
Once the full application is issued, the Christmas village wooden structures in the ODZ area will still be dismantled from year to year. However a number of permanent facilities will save a lot of works for the volunteers. These include paved passages, water and electricity service, water features, permanent ponds and springs, rubble wall, animal sheds etc. Throughout the year, this area will then be used as a permanent family park.