Hi guys,

Hope everyone is well and looking forward to the weekend!

Just a quick reminder that ‘Together’ is out now on ASOT with a remix from the wonderful Tom Colontonio! Now with 4 plays from Armin on ASOT and the ASOT podcast and available at all the usual download sites

If you’d like to hear either ‘Together’ or ‘Beside You’ in this year’s ASOT top 20 or if you’d like to hear me play at ASOT 450, you can cast your vote now at http://www.facebook.com/l/96115;www.arminvanbuuren.net!

Thanks for your support as always and have a fantastic weekend!

Next Symphony on Friday 4th December

See some of you in Germany tomorrow night….

Sophie x

Show your support. Sign the online petition in support of MEPA Auditor
Perit Joe Falzon:
http://www.petitiononline.com/MEPA/petition.html

Ralph Cassar
Secretary General
Alternattiva Demokratika
www.alternattiva.org.mt

Hereunder some background on the issue from The Times website:

Sunday, 15th November 2009
AD defends Mepa audit officer

The function of the planning authority’s audit officer is not yet
sufficiently appreciated by those running the Malta Environment and
Planning Authority, Alternattiva Demokratika said yesterday.

Defending Audit Officer Joe Falzon’s work, AD general secretary Ralph
Cassar criticised the attacks levelled at Mr Falzon, first by the
Prime Minister and then by Mepa.

“Mepa should start heeding Mr Falzon’s admonitions and desist from
justifying development at all costs. This attitude is not only
damaging the environment but in the long run it is also harmful to the
building industry itself,” Mr Cassar said.
This week, Mr Falzon was criticised by the authority for publishing a
critical report on the development of apartment blocks at Qala’s
belvedere.

The development application is still under appeal but environmental
groups have criticised the permit because the new building would ruin
the skyline. Last Sunday, Lawrence Gonzi criticised Mr Falzon for
commenting on the findings of the court in the Mistra case.
The audit officer said he could not understand how private meetings
between board members and developers could be deemed normal practice,
insisting that they breached planning law.

***

Saturday, 14th November 2009

Mepa audit officer mulls resignation
Falzon says his situation is intolerable
Juan Ameen

The planning authority’s audit officer, Joseph Falzon is considering
stepping down because he “cannot continue working in such a hostile
environment”.

“I haven’t yet decided whether I will be resigning but I’m thinking
about it. All this (my work) is a waste of time,” Mr Falzon said.

In less than a week, Mr Falzon’s actions were harshly condemned and
criticised from two fronts: by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, who
accused him of jumping to conclusions on Sunday, and, four days later,
by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority.

Mepa lashed out at its own auditor over a report probing a development
permit in Qala, saying he should never even have investigated or
published the report because the matter was still before the appeals
board. It said Mr Falzon’s actions contradicted the Ombudsman
decision, a higher institution.

A similar situation arose in 2008 when, on Mepa’s request, the
Ombudsman told Mr Falzon that publishing a report on the controversial
recycling plant in Marsascala would prejudice the pending appeal. Mr
Falzon had complied.

This time, Mr Falzon criticised a decision by one of Mepa’s boards
that allowed a hotel overlooking the picturesque M€ ¢Ä¡arr harbour to be
converted into apartments, saying this permit should never have been
granted.

Mepa’s criticism was the last straw for Mr Falzon who said. “Whenever
I criticise something, everyone goes on the defensive. If the
authorities don’t want an auditing process then why don’t they scrap
it, after all it’s costing the country millions of euros?”

Regardless of Mepa’s criticism, Mr Falzon still felt he did the right
thing in looking into the case because of its environmental
importance. “I decided to investigate the case because an appeal was
filed by a third party. This meant the developer could go ahead with
his works because he had all the permits in hand,” he said.

If, and when, the board decided in the objectors’ favour, it would
have been too late because the development would have materialised, he
added.

Mr Falzon criticised the workings of the appeals’ board, which, he
said, took an exaggeratedly long time to decide, sometimes years. The
appeals’ board was not a useful tool for third party objectors, he
insisted.

He said there was nothing in Mepa’s regulations preventing him from
investigating a case under appeal.

Mepa’s criticism and the Prime Minister’s comments led Mr Falzon to
describe his situation as “intolerable”.

“The role of an auditor is there for a reason: to point out an
organisation’s shortcomings,” he said.

Dr Gonzi described Mr Falzon’s comments on a court ruling as
“shameful” because he had not asked for explanations but just jumped
to conclusions. However, when contacted earlier this week, Dr Gonzi
said he would not be demanding Mr Falzon’s resignation.

Mr Falzon’s comments were on the controversial Mistra disco
development case after a magistrate cleared two former members of the
Developement Control Commission of exercising private interests in
approving the outline permit for the open-air disco.

The magistrate concluded that meetings between planning board members
and developers were common practice.

Mr Falzon deems such meetings “illegal”", even though he acknowledged
the magistrate was making a statement of fact when she said such
meetings had become common practice.

Meanwhile, Labour environment spokesman Roderick Galdes said the
auditor’s report confirmed the Qala development was not consistent
with the area’s policies.

Mr Galdes, who is also Labour’s representative on the Mepa board, said
the auditor should be allowed to continue checking the accountability
and transparency of the planning process.

Similarly, the Ramblers Association said it was shocked by Mepa’s
rebuke and insisted an explanation was morally due.

***

Thursday, 12th November 2009 – 17:30CET
Mepa in sharp rebuke of its audit officer

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mepa) said today that
its audit officer should never have carried out an investigation and
published a report into the permit for a development at Qala Ridge in
Gozo, once the case was still before the Appeals Board.
“The Ombudsman had, in the past, already warned the Auditor not to
investigate planning cases that were sub-judice,” Mepa said.
“The Authority regrets that the Audit Officer’s actions once again
contradict the decision of a higher institution – this time the
Ombudsman’s Office.”

Last week Mepa noted that comments made by the audit officer in the
Mistra development case with regards to meetings between its officials
and developers contradicting a finding by the magistrates’ court. The
comments by the auditor were also criticised by the Prime Minister on
Sunday. Dr Gonzi said that the institutions should respect each other.
The audit officer’s investigation into the development of the site
currently occupied by Xerri l-Bukkett restaurant in Qala was requested
by nine environment NGOs and the report was issued to the press by the
NGOs themselves. In it, the audit officer, Joe Falzon, noted
shortcomings in the local plan for Qala but said the Development
Control Commission was wrong not to have exercised its discretionary
powers in the interest of the environment.

Mepa said the audit officer chose to ignore or omit a number of issues
in his report.

The Authority said that although there was a first refusal to this
application, this was entirely based on the fact that the proposed
development over-spilled the category 1 boundary. At reconsideration
stage the drawings were amended and the ones approved showed that the
development including the swimming pools was to be all within the
category 1 settlement zone, even though according to planning policies
of swimming pools, these could have even been placed outside this
settlement boundary.
While the Auditor stated in his report that the Development Control
Commission wrongly permitted underlying basements to the development,
the interpretation of the Policy as had been published by the Local
Planning Unit, clearly explained and stated that this policy permitted
the construction of a basement under street level.

The proposed three storey development was in accordance with the ridge
edge policy that governs such developments. Furthermore, the DCC
limited the approved height to 72% of the permissible height given the
in DC2007. This in fact is why the visual impact of the proposal was
minimized, especially at the back.”

Mepa said the auditor had questioned the validity of the photomontages
presented by the applicant and seemed to favour those handed in by the
objectors.

“The objectors’ photomontages were produced prior to the first
decision and so present an absurd picture of what was approved. Here
the Auditor should point out that the submitted photomontages of the
objectors were totally misleading and not based on the actual plans
and elevations related to the development,” Mepa said.

“Interestingly, had the applicant submitted such misleading
information, his application could have been revoked though Article
39(A) of the Development Planning Act, while when objectors submit
misleading information there are no consequences.”
The Authority said the Audit Officer should have never carried out an
investigation, and more so, published his report, given that this case
was still before the Appeals Board. The Ombudsman had, in the past,
already warned the Auditor not to investigate planning cases that were
sub -judice.

“The Authority regrets that the Audit Officer’s actions once again
contradict the decision of a higher institution – this time the
Ombudsman’s Office.”

See also
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20091112/local/auditor-raps-mepa-dcc-over-qala-development

This Week at Rookies:

Fri-
NEW Experimental Band – LOST COnnection @ 10pm

Sat-
Im Not Johnny Cash – tribute night @10pm

Thats right people, from 7pm til 10pm ALL drinks will be at 1 euro…so dont forget:

This Sat @ 7pm FEM Music Festival…8 Bands for 10euro – An ALL NIGHT FESTIVAL…

Make SKY THE PLACE TO BE THIS SAT…spread the word and keep supporting local talent to the max

C U

Hi everyone!

Due to the amazing response we’ve sold out this entire weekend!

But DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND We’re adding an extra show this Saturday at 10pm!

Don’t miss this LAST CHANCE  to watch the best selling comedy of 2010!

Tickets for the late night show cost 15 Euros and can be bought online from http://www.facebook.com/l/1c73f;www.ticketline.com.mt or for more info visit http://www.facebook.com/l/1c73f;www.mellowdrama.com.mt

Take care and see you at the show!

Wess

Il-Politika Socjal-Demokratika fl-Ewropa:Riflessjonijiet dwar il-Ġejjieni

JIDDIBATTU
DR. MARIO VELLA
SUR ALFRED MIFSUD
DR. RANIER FSADNI
SUR MARIO CUTAJAR

Il-Ħamis, 26 ta’ Novembru fil-bini tal-Kunsill Lokali tal-iMsida bejn is-sitta u s-sebgħa u nofs ta’ filgħaxija. Dħul b`xejn.

Irriserva post billi tibgħat email fuq info [Email address: info #AT# ideat.org.mt - replace #AT# with @ ]

Dear Group Members
Just a gentle reminder that the offer for Holy Mountain ticket holders which in return are entitled to a 20% discount on Cinderella On Ice tickets ends this Monday 23rd of November!! So if you haven’t got your tickets kindly subscribe to our mailing list by visiting http://www.facebook.com/l/b9f99;www.cinderellaoniceinmalta.com to avoid disappointment.

Many Thanks

Sally