[Daphne – I hope this isn’t going to turn into a competition. I agree it’s hideous, but then car-parks always are. Where would you have put a car-park to serve Valletta, given that having no car-park is not an option?]

[Daphne – It is unfair to compare the two. They couldn’t be more different.]

Swimming pool under the farmhouse?

[Daphne – I would have thought that a swimming-pool outside a farmhouse would present a greater visual problem.]

MaltaToday July 19.

Astrid, “”The public wanted a theatre and the City Gate reconstruction. But it never asked for a new parliament.” She now expects to set the agenda for the government on behalf of ‘the public’!

@ emanuel darmanin

So, what’s your point?

Is the Labour Party the same party it was 30 years ago? Heaven forbid – although bringing back old hacks was not such a good idea and keeps reminding us that not only is the LP not on a forward-moving mode but steady in neutral with reverse tendencies.

Cacopardo had his own reasons for doing what he did and he chose to keep those reasons to himself, but if the Nationalist Party of today was not listening to him, maybe his ideas were passe and did not fit the circumstances. He forgot that he had a better chance of fighting from the inside rather than joining a party which is unrepresented where it counts most and on a steady decline, so much so that it desperately threw its grappling hooks at theLabour ship and tenuously hangs on barely staying afloat.

__________________________________________
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20080121/local/cacopardo-severs-ties-with-pn-after-30-years
——————————————————————–

Monday, 21st January 2008
Cacopardo severs ties with PN after 30 years
Carmel Cacopardo severed his ties with the Nationalist Party after 30 years on the same day Alternattiva Demokratika appointed him spokesman for sustainable development.
In a letter sent to PN general secretary Joe Saliba, dated January 16 but e-mailed to the media over the weekend, the former assistant audit officer at the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mepa) had strong words of criticism for the party he had served for so many years.
“When I joined the PN, I had no problem identifying myself with the party. However, lately, I’ve been making an effort to establish whether it’s the same party I joined in the 1970s.
“I’ve reached the conclusion that, if I had to choose today, I wouldn’t join,” he wrote.

@ michael tyrell

Where there is the possibility of using your position to apply pressure, there is the potential for abuse. This was the case with Cacopardo as investigating officer in the Audit office, even if I am not in any way implying that Cacopardo did actually abuse his position.

FAA alleged that there was wrong-doing in the DCC on the mere pretext that some architects on the DCC had some private work. If they were to apply the same standard, they would have objected to a situation in the Audit office where there is much opportunity for abuse.

FAA went further and used a very broad brush, and by means of the usual letters to the editor, branded all architects (irrespective of whether they were in private practice or not) on the DCCs as corrupt.

Verissimu! Fil-Bidnija hemm kas tad-dahq (jew tal-biki skond liema nuccali tilbes) ta barumbara tal-hamiem li cumm bumm saret razzett lussuz bis-swimming pool.

[Daphne – Oh, so that’s what it’s about – our old friend Mister Envy, simmering away beneath the surface as usual. Social justice does not enter the equation in private practice and the free market. In a market economy, you get your work however you can, as long as you don’t break the law. Now in your next breath, I imagine you are going to tell me you are a liberal. Please look up the definition. I think the thing I can’t stand the most about Maltese society is precisely this: iss hej, miss, mhux fier; dak ghandu u jien m’ghandiex. Irrid ukoll! Nehhilu tieghu u aghtih lili!” Jaqq. Gej bis-social justice.]

[Daphne – I don’t approve of people using unusual surnames which are not their own. If you’re not really called Tyrell, choose another name, please.]

Justin and Twanny, you should look more in depth and not stop at the title of applications since they do not always reflect what is actually being proposed.

In the case where Cacopardo was architect, for example, the title gives a lot of minor details like putting up a sign but leaves out at least one significant point: a second storey was envisaged. This not only increases the floor-space but goes against MEPA policy for rural areas.

Every architect knows that when an existing structure is completely demolished to be rebuilt, it is considered to be a new development. Building a new farmhouse ODZ is allowed only for full-time farmers while the applicant was a part-timer. There was also a number of other irregularities which, on the whole, make this application similar to that of Dr Scerri.

Something else to note is that, as the Planning Directorate was against the development in principle and recommended outright refusal, they did not carry out any consultations or studies about the possible impact of excavating in an archaeological site. The DCC issued the permit without setting the condition that such studies be carried out.

In the other application, the second storey is mentioned in the title but MEPA policy at the time stated categorically that only full-time farmers could have ODZ stores (ground floor only) while the applicant was a part-timer and, to make matters worse, intended to build an additional floor. The Planning Directorate was convinced that there was no agricultural need for the building, the implication being that it was intended as a small dwelling/recreation building. Again, there were also various other infringements. The case officers do not recommend refusals on a whim.

Nobody is claiming that there was something fishy about the way the permits were issued. The DCCs however did disregard the arguments brought forward by the case officers and the Planning Directorate and clearly went against established MEPA policies, exactly as had happened in the Scerri/Musumeci case.