Decisions taken by the Planning Authority and the Ministry of Land Use and Habitat to demolish illegal structures are not politically motivated, says Joel Morgan, principal secretary for the ministry.

Rejecting allegations made by the Regar newspaper that the decision to demolish an extension of the Coco Rouge restaurant on Praslin was politically biased and unjust, Mr Morgan stressed that the "ministry stands by its decisions and will continue to ensure that developments comply with the Town and Country Planning Act."

Before it was dismantled, the extension of the restaurant was being used to operate a takeaway business without a proper permit.

An appeal made by the owner of Coco Rouge against the enforcement notice, which asked the owner to cease the illegal use of the extension, was turned down not for political reasons but because of various technical and legal aspects of the case, Mr Morgan explained.

In the past, Mr Morgan said, the minister had accommodated similar appeals based on merit.

The demolition was carried out only after the case was brought for judicial review at the Supreme Court, whereby the minister's decision was maintained and the owner's claim was dismissed, Mr Morgan said.

Regar articles also made reference to the Coco d'Or restaurant at Beau Vallon where a similar extension had been done. But in the case of Coco d'Or, Mr Morgan explained, the owner complied with the stop and enforcement notices served by the Planning Authority and has since carried out the necessary work to remove the extension.

The same course of action taken in the case of Coco Rouge would have been enforced in the case of Coco d'Or had the owner not respected the ministry's instructions, Mr Morgan added.

"The ministry is alarmed by the continued over-zealous attempt by the editor and the publisher of Regar to politicise non-political matters in the discharge of MLUH's function and in its programmes," Mr Morgan said.

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