Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1172208
6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 29 SEPTEMBER 2019 NEWS Malta, shrunk down No 3. Flyovers What are we skinning? Flyovers in Malta. Why are we skinning them? As much as one could actually 'skin' temporarily pristine tarmac... we're talking about them now in the wake of the freshly inaugurated (but not quite 100-percent complete) Marsa flyover last week. Yes, that was quite a show. True enough, though I'd daresay the opening party happened with no small amount of tone-deafness about. Why do you say that? Well, let's not forget the climate strike happened on the same day all across the world – Malta included – as this car-enabling edifice was being celebrated with full media fanfare. But the flyover will help keep emissions down due to less congestion! Minister Ian Borg said so! Surely, even Greta Thunberg would agree that's a good thing... Okay, fair enough. But to REALLY appease Greta, we should consider alternative modes of transportation instead of constantly catering to cars, and cars alone. What? You mean going around on boats like she did? A more frequent, dynamic and evenly distributed ferry service would be a great start, actually. We are an island, after all. As if people will just switch from cars to ferries. You'd be surprised. Novelty can go a long way. But then it stops being a novelty and it doesn't go anywhere anymore. Hey, even the Marsa flyover is technically a novelty… Finally, you've managed to figure it out all by yourself! Short-term solutions, my friend. Do say: "Traffic is an important issue on a small and over- populated island like Malta, and we should tackle this problem in the most innovative, holistic and environmentally-friendly way possible." Don't say: "When this flyover inevitably ends up being yet another congestion zone, I can't wait for them to build another one right on top of it!" JAMES DEBONO A proposed zoning policy to permit the development of supermarkets on an industrial site in Ta' Qali near the Amer- ican embassy, contradicts the Planning Authority's own pol- icy recommending that super- markets be sited on the edge of town centres to minimise car use. The suggestion to allow the rezoning of the area for su- permarkets was made by busi- nesses already operating in the area. But according to a PA spokes- person, this is not the case be- cause the site under consid- eration is already allocated for industrial development in the Ta' Qali Action Plan, referring to a section which states that supermarkets can be "favour- ably considered" in industrial areas. Still, the policy itself states clearly that industrial areas can only be considered for supermarkets "in existing and planned urban areas which of- fer good access to the arterial road network and have good public transport connection." The Ta' Qali area is not des- ignated as an urban area and, in fact, lies outside develop- ment zones. But the area al- ready hosts retail develop- ments. Although the area is presently zoned for industrial development, the Big Mat DIY establishment was issued a permit in 2015 because the showroom and office space were deemed to occupy a smaller percentage of the whole site, which belongs to Attard Bros. In 2016, Attard Bros presented an application to extend the retail establish- ment which is still pending. The new policy will not stop the existing industrial opera- tions but it will limit future permits to commercial devel- opment deemed by govern- ment to be more compatible with the surrounding recrea- tional area. The new policy would also impose a €25 planning gain on every additional square metre approved, for the upgrading of recreational facilities and oth- er environmental initiatives within the Ta' Qali National Park. It will also increase building heights in the area from the current 10m to a maximum of 17.5m, with heights being stepped down in the direction of Mdina to avoid a negative impact on the iconic land- scape. To mitigate the impact on Mdina views as a result of increased heights, the policy also encourages the use of green views, In the original document is- sued for public consultation in November the government had proposed changing the industrial zoning of the site to one permitting offices for fi- nancial services, retail outlets and food and drink establish- ments. But the Interim Retail Plan- ning Guidelines approved in 2004, which are still in place, discourage the development of supermarkets outside exist- ing town centres; indeed, large supermarkets are only permit- ted after presenting a retail impact assessment assessing their impact on existing es- tablishments located in town centres. The policy was guided by transport considerations, aimed at encouraging multi- purpose trips and reducing the overall need to travel by concentrating shopping fa- cilities in town centres and ar- eas easily accessible by public transport. The policy was repeatedly breached by the PA in the past, particularly when a num- ber of Lidl supermarkets were approved outside develop- ment zones under the Nation- alist administration. New zoning suggested by business owners The document, which is un- dergoing a second round of public consultation, allows supermarkets, medical clinics, educational facilities, offices, retail, food and drink estab- lishments and storage facili- ties among the allowable uses. The demand to include su- permarkets, storage facilities, medical clinics and educa- tional facilities was made in a submission made by Attard Bros and Nectar Ltd. Requests by owners of businesses on adjacent sites to be included in the new commercial zone, were rejected. NGO Flimkien Ghall-Amb- jent Ahjar also reacted to the original proposal before the inclusion of supermarkets among the range of new per- mitted uses, objecting to the proposed change in zoning which it described as ques- tionable exercise which will enable further development "which cannot be considered to benefit the general public in anyway". FAA expressed concern on increased heights noting that existing heights are already excessive in a rural landscape. FAA also contends that zon- ing commercial uses outside the urban area is in breach of the SPED which limits the commercial uses to the urban area. The Environment and Re- sources Authority did not ob- ject to the increased heights but warned that the intensifi- cation of development on the site may have an impact on traffic flows thereby increas- ing risks of environmental impacts associated with fur- ther road congestion, and it warned that this may result in further take-up of undevel- oped land to extend, upgrade or construct new infrastruc- ture. Notice The Regulator for Energy & Water Services would like to inform the general public that the offices of the Regulator will be closed on Wednesday 2 nd October 2019. The offices will reopen on Thursday 3rd October 2019 The Regulator apologises for any inconvenience. Millennia 2 nd Floor, Aldo Moro Road, Marsa, MRS 9065 ,Malta. Tel.: 21220619; Fax.: 22955200 http://www.rews.org.mt The Skinny Proposed Ta' Qali retail hub breaches PA's supermarket policy