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MW 4 July 2018

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NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 4 JULY 2018 YANNICK PACE A decision by the Planning Au- thority on a proposed Russian Orthodox church in Kappara is expected today, amid concerns by residents that the project will be pushed through despite it being recommended for re- fusal. In August last year, St Paul the Apostle Parish of the Russian Orthodox Church submitted a proposal to build a church at a site in Triq Wied Ghollieqa, ad- jacent to the Wied Gholieqa Na- ture Reserve, in Kappara. The proposed development includes the construction of the actual church, one level of basement parking for 11 cars, as well as "ancillary facilities to the church, including stores and liv- ing quarters and multi-purpose rooms". Despite the fact that a signifi- cant number of believers live on the island, the Russian Ortho- dox parish does not have its own church and in fact, organises services at the Greek Church of Our Lady of Damascus in Val- letta. A permit for the construction of a church on the site had been granted back in 2004, despite it being recommended for refusal. Residents who live in the area have said that the traditional Orthodox style in which the church is to be built, with a stee- ple more than 26-metres high, would not fit in with the sur- rounding landscape. In fact, Nature Trust Malta has objected to the project, ar- guing that the Wied Ghollieqa valley, which lies opposite the site where the church is to be built, was designated as an Area of High Landscape Sensitivity and a Special Area of Conserva- tion in the North Harbour Local Plan. Nature Trust said the area was also a bird sanctuary, nature re- serve and a tree protection area. "The building and design is unconducive to a Maltese valley landscape. The steeple, which rises over 26 metres is visually intrusive. Such an activity would increase traffic, light and noise pollution and would greatly interfere with the ecology of the area and disrupt the serene and natural ambience of the re- serve." One resident who preferred not to be named told MaltaTo- day that while the project was recommended for refusal, the reasons for this were "solvable", and "easily amended". They said that since the pre- vious permit had been issued, a significant change in policy had been brought about by the approval of the North Har- bour Local Plan, making the area specifically a residential area. Moreover, they said the church, which is to be used by a great majority of the Russian Orthodox community, would need far more than the pro- posed 11 parking spaces. This, they said, would make it impos- sible to park in the area. Decision on Kappara Russian Orthodox church expected today TIA RELJIC THROUGH collaboration be- tween St Hubert Hunters and an independent ornithologist, 400 man-made nesting boxes will be installed around the Maltese is- lands Artificial nesting boxes will be placed in strategic locations around the Maltese islands as part of a project announced by St Hubert Hunters. KSU will be installing 400 manmade nesting boxes in sev- eral locations in order to target birds which are known to nest in Malta, namely swift, pallid swift, spanish sparrow, tree sparrow, swallow, house martin, grey wag- tail, spotted fly-catcher, starling, common kestrel and the pere- grine falcon. The announcement came after the success of a similar initiative, BEJTA, where three nests in- tended for the spotted flycatcher species were observed and re- corded with fledglings, the first of which only weeks after the instal- lation. "These are the first ever re- cords of this bird nesting in man- made nests in Malta," KSU said, adding that all the nests are being installed, monitored, and main- tained by the group's volunteers. The nesting boxes will be placed in locations in which there is a good chance that the birds will nest, KSU president Mark Mifsud Bonnici said. The project is being carried out in collaboration with inde- pendent ornithologist Natalino Fenech and is co-financed by the Environment Ministry under the Conservation of Wild Birds Fund 2017. "We believe that hunt- ers are ornithologists have a lot in common, and we would like to successfully collaborate with people who care about birds," Mifsud Bonnici said. Praising the group's efforts, Environment Minister, Jose Her- rera, said that hunters are not only hunters, but also conserva- tionists. Similarly, President Ma- rie-Louise Coleiro Preca, who is lending her name to the project, said that she is proud of the in- novative project which will give visibility to hunters. "[Hunters] are not people who kill everything that flies, but are doing their best so that the rest of society can enjoy birds in their natural habitat," she said. Parliamentary Secretary for Animal Rights Clint Camilleri said that environmentalists and hunters ought to work together for the sake of the natural envi- ronment. "These initiatives need to be encouraged… as although there is often tension between the two parties, it is important to find common ground in order to protect flora and fauna." Hunters to install bird nesting boxes Species targeted by nest boxes Swift and Pallid Swift Started breeding in small numbers in a few areas Starling Has been reported breeding in only three localities so far Swallow and House Martin: Sometimes breed in Malta Grey Wagtail: Up to three pairs were re- ported to be breeding an- nually Spotted Flycatcher Breeds in small numbers in specific areas Tree Sparrow Breeds in small colonies in specific areas Spanish Sparrow Ubiquitous breeder which has lost a lot of suitable breeding places due to hu- man intervention Peregrine Falcon and Kestrel Raptors that breed in small numbers

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