The Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce (BEST) said former Environment Minister Walter Roban was wrong to approve “flawed” planning appeals by two colleagues.In a statement, the organisation said the planning applications by Health Minister Zane DeSilva and Tourism Minister Wayne Furbert were deficient and misleading.BEST’s statement said the “stringent conditions” placed on the proposal were a fallacy, saying that in the case of Mr DeSilva’s application, pre-existing conditions were never met.The statement says that all persons submitting applications are required to provide basic information to enable an effective and complete assessment, conform to rules and procedures, provide accurate and truthful information, respond to points raised in objection and make a strong case to justify approval should the proposal depart radically from planning protocols.In each case, BEST said that Mr DeSilva’s application fell short of the requirements.“It makes no sense to justify the overthrow of pre-existing conditions with a vague promise that the next set of conditions can be upheld,” the organisation said in its statement.“The Minister, in giving his written reasons for upholding the appeal, dismisses these earlier stringent conditions without even mentioning them. He then issues an assurance of sorts that the next set of conditions will be upheld.”The statement said, given the circumstances, Mr Roban should have refused to consider the appeals as the previous planning stage had been “subverted” in that the applications withheld vital information and included incorrect or misleading information.BEST urged new Environment Minister Marc Bean not to take on the appeal phase of the applications until the applicants have met the requirements and provide the information necessary for proper consideration at the DAB phase of the planning process.Mr DeSilva’s plan, which proposed the construction of warehouses on Devonshire Marsh, was rejected by technical officers due to significant discrepancies and insufficient information about the environmental impact of the project. An appeal was launched in March, but the Planning Inspectorate recommended the appeal be dismissed.Mr Furbert’s proposal to build two additional lots next to his home was been rejected by the Development Applications Board because the land was marked as an agricultural reserve. An appeal was launched in April.Mr Roban, who approved the appeals of both applications on his last day in office as Minister of Environment, Planning and Social Infrastructure, resigned from his position in the Cabinet following the controversy.He said that he had no regrets about approving the appeals, but regretted the decision bringing accusations of corruption upon the Government.Following his resignation, he told The Royal Gazette: “I, as a Minister, was seeking to conclude all matters in front of me. Those were decisions that were outstanding and that I had carefully considered over a number of weeks or months.“There was never any intention to ingratiate or enrich anyone that was special in any manner. The fact that those two matters related to two people within Cabinet was not anything that factored into how I made the decisions.”