Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1085429
8 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 24 FEBRUARY 2019 KURT SANSONE AN underground carpark for 900 vehicles will be built at university as part of a planned sports complex that will re- place the existing dusty football ground. The carpark has been in- cluded in the plans after the Planning Authority last year overruled the local plan and asked the university to include parking facilities in the project. The proposed carpark will be shared with the local commu- nity. The sports complex will in- clude an eight-lane athletics track, a modern pitch, stadium seating and an indoor running track. The development comes on the back of controversy after the university last week opened up the existing arid football ground for parking as a tempo- rary measure. Athletes who use the uni- versity running track and en- vironmentalists criticised the decision, lamenting it was symptomatic of the country's love of cars. But pro-Rector Carmen Sam- mut defended the decision and insisted measures were being taken to encourage more stu- dents and staff to use alterna- tive modes of transport. "The decision to allow cars to park on the ground was nec- essary to mitigate the loss of parking spots as a result of con- struction work in various parts of the campus," she said. There are at least three con- struction projects going on at university, including a new building that will house several faculties and institutes, Sam- mut explained. Other projects include engi- neering labs and a student resi- dence. She insisted that measures were taken to ensure the safety of athletes using the track, in- cluding the presence of a uni- versity staff member. "I understand their concern but this is only temporary be- cause in any case, the track and ground will be closed off in a few months' time when work starts on the new sports com- plex," Sammut said. She insisted critics of the de- cision expected students and staff to suddenly stop using their car, an impractical solu- tion for the 15,000 people who study and work at university. "It is unfair to portray NEWS New university sports complex will include carpark for 900 vehicles The parking area next to the library will be transformed into engineering labs and offices for post-doctoral research