Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1019972
maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 29 AUGUST 2018 7 NEWS NOTICE JAMES DEBONO A new road system is being proposed to serve "potential residential development" on a 12,031sq.m site located north and east of the Trade Fair grounds and to the west by Triq Santa Marija. The area presently consists of agricultural land enclosed with- in the development zone which had been designated as a "white area" where development is not allowed in the Temporary Provi- sion Schemes approved in 1988. The land is owned by four differ- ent owners. The proposed road will link Triq Santa Marija to Triq il- Gwiedja at the edge of the Trade Fair grounds and Sqaq Pezza. The architect of the project, Ray Demicoli, is also designing a proposal for a 500-apartment and office complex to be built on the site of the former Trade Fair. Recently another separate ap- plication presented by the own- ers of Villa Arrigo was requesting the introduction of a cul-de-sac off St Paul's Street to cater for the new residential plots. Both the Trade Fair grounds and the area along Triq Santa Marija have been earmarked for development in the notorious local plans approved in 2006 un- der the tutelage of former plan- ning Minister George Pullicino. The Central Malta Local Plan stipulates that the PA can only consider planning applications in this area following the ap- proval of "satisfactory compre- hensive road schemes." The local plan claims that residential development in this agricultural area constitutes an"efficient use of land". But according to the same plan, residential development and the required street layout are to be planned in a sensitive manner that respects the adjacent Urban Conservation Area of Naxxar (UCA). For this aim the local plan stipulates that vehicular access should only be allowed from Triq Santa Marija. Wherever possible, the street layout is also to provide for suitable pe- destrian links to the urban core area and the Secondary Town Centre. According to the local plan, major residential developments at Il-Gwejdja and Triq Santa Marija will create further de- mands for recreational space in the locality. Instead of obliging the developers of these sites to provide open spaces onsite, the local plan obliges them to fi- nance the upgrading of another site administrated by the local council. Reacting to the proposed Trade Fair grounds develop- ment, residents in Naxxar have been appealing the government to amend the local plan to en- sure that developments in the area will retain large-scale open spaces, which can be used by the public. New road put forward to facilitate new dwellings east of Trade Fair grounds Development onslaught on Naxxar A man from St Paul's Bay has been remanded in custody af- ter he was accused of slightly injuring two police officers investigating a disturbance which he was causing at a Mar- sa bar. Police Inspector Wayne Camilleri charged 43-year-old Alan Grech with insulting or threatening two police offic- ers in the line of duty, slightly injuring both of them, driving a motorcycle without a licence, insurance or road licence, diso- beying police orders, breaching the peace and relapsing. Inspector Camilleri explained to Magistrate Gabriella Vella how police had been called to a bar in Marsa yesterday morn- ing, where they found the ac- cused creating a disturbance. "When he saw the police, he got a bit excited and didn't cooperate," said the Inspec- tor. Officers had noted that he did not have a licence to drive the Honda motorbike he was using. When they attempted to arrest him, he resisted and slightly injured two officers, before eventually being hand- cuffed and taken to Hamrun police station. Grech appeared in the dock with the knuckles of his right hand wrapped in a bandage, clutching silver-coloured ro- sary beads. Asked what he pleaded, the accused shouted "not guilty!" Lawyer Joseph Brincat, de- fence counsel to the man, re- quested the court to release Grech on bail. Grech had been in a relation- ship for 18 years from which he had children, explained the lawyer. The mother had re- cently died. "I knew her well and I was shocked, one can only imagine how it hit him." The man was having trouble settling down again, said the lawyer, asking that Grech be examined by a doctor for inju- ries. The court upheld this re- quest and appointed a medical expert to establish the nature and extent of injuries suffered by the accused. Inspector Camilleri objected to bail, however, pointing out that the man had hurt two po- lice officers, adding that he was a recidivist who had injured police in the past. "Apparently he has a problem when police go to speak to him and I feel his behaviour is dangerous," the inspector said. The Court decreed that it was not convinced at this stage that the accused would not commit another offence while on bail and remanded him in custody. Man accused of injuring police denied bail