On Friday, The Board of the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) upheld the protection status of the whole of Ħondoq ir-Rummien, including il-Ħnejja. This decision was delivered unanimously on Friday morning.
ERA said that earlier this year, Ħondoq ir-Rummien was designated a Special Area of Conservation. Article 69 (6) of the Environment Protection Act (Cap. 549) allows any landowner who feels aggrieved by the protection of a site to request a reconsideration of the protection title awarded to their land within 30 days from notification or publication in the Government Gazette. As a result, a request to reconsider the protection for part of the site was submitted by landowners.
Following a thorough assessment, the Board found no reasonable grounds to reconsider the protection title.
The decision was delivered during a public meeting of the board. This was possible due to changes enacted last year in the Environment Protection Act, following amendments which brought further transparency to ERA Board meetings.
News Editor
Journalist and Newscaster
Leave a Reply