Mepa turns down Portomaso extension with chairman's casting vote

A controversial extension to Portomaso was turned down by the Mepa board this afternoon after chairman Austin Walker used his casting vote. The board members were tied with six votes in favour and six against after a four-hour debate held at the Mediterranean Conference Centre before a crowd of some 100 people.  The discussion revolved mainly around a clause in the previous Portomaso permit which stated that no further extension or development could be carried out in the area. However, the legal representatives and the architects of the Fenech family, who want to develop the land, argued that the local plan approved 10 years later included this particular site as suitable for development. A number of NGOs and neighbouring residents insisted that the permit condition was very clear and could not be superseded. Various environmental concerns were also raised. Mr Walker criticised the decision to include the condition in the first permit precluding further development saying that the hands of future board members should not be tied down in this way. He also expressed concerns about over-development and about enforcement orders not having been acted upon yet. During the vote, PL...