Alan Deidun

by Alan Deidun A veritable brouhaha has been kicked up, and rightly so, about the indiscriminate sale of the Maltese citizenship. Concomitantly, however, it’s just the usual suspects (i.e. environmental NGOs) who flag the unremitting sale of our coastline. From Ta’ Cenc to Portomaso, the encroachment is relentless. The following blog has been updated from a...

by Alan Deidun Such policies are literally paving the way for more concrete pathways in the countryside: This is the second article in a short series which draws the limelight on the implications of the proposed amendments to ODZ policies. The coastal aspect of ODZ is conspicuous by its absence within Policy 1.2H, which refers to country pathways....

by Alan Deidun In August 2005, a number of environmental NGOs organised a walk at Ta’ Cenc to protest against plans to develop a golf course on site (photographed above). A similar onslaught, albeit of much smaller dimensions but still of considerable significance, is being proposed at Ta’ Cenc, although, judging by the deafening silence out...

by Alan Deidun The recently-launched proposals for the revision of ODZ policies (downloadable from www.mepa.org.mt/public-consultation) are being  touted as being absolutely justifiable and are being branded and marketed in terms of appealing motivations, ranging from ‘giving agrotourism a sorely-needed boost’ or ‘giving genuine farmers the possibility to expand their activities’. However, if one cares to scratch beyond the surface, one...

by Alan Deidun Polidano Brothers (known locally through the monicker of Caqnu) are not new to controversy….it seems that every misdemeamour they commit instils a brew of awe and schadenfreude in the general public. Just 7 months ago, enforcement officers moved in to seal off a site next to the tycoons’ premises in Hal Farrug in Luqa which was being previously...

by Alan Deidun It seems that neither the boathouse phenomenon, the selling-off for a paltry sum of prime coastal sites in St. Julian’s for hotel development, illegal kiosk development, nor plonking caravans or sobering statistics themselves are enough to stave off further development of our beloved coast. Take Sliema. With its quintessential...

by Alan Deidun Trawling through Wikipedia, I came across the following salient information concerning Ta’Hagrat Temples at Mgarr: ‘The Ta’ Ħaġrat temples in Mġarr, Malta is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with several other Megalithic temples. They are amongst the most...

by Alan Deidun A  number of sobering statistics concerning the built-up footprint of these islands (25%, compared to a European average which is less than 5%) and the staggering number of vacant buildings (72,000, or roughly one-quarter of the total local stock) have been bandied around so much that they been watered down into mantras and...