Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1179886
7 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 OCTOBER 2019 NEWS JAMES DEBONO ROAD-WIDENING projects have triggered a new trend for planning applications being presented along roads either recently widened, or which have been recently permitted. These include two super- markets on the Tal-Balal road in San Gwann, and a roadside cafeteria and a retail centre in Mriehel along the Central Link route. Transport Malta issued its clearance for a proposed Lidl supermarket in Zebbug, claiming any traffic it will gen- erate will be mitigated by the Central Link project in Attard. And for major develop- ments in Paceville like the DB Group's City Centre, the ab- sence of major infrastructural works would result in a major gridlock. Moviment Graffitti has ex- pressed its concern that road- widening projects are actu- ally triggering these proposed developments which will in turn cancel any due reduction in traffic, by the demand they create. "If you allow supermarkets to be built along newly widened roads you will simply get more cars; you would have simply created new roads for them, with the traffic soon being jammed once again," Graffitti said. "Is the widening of roads simply a pretext for more buildings?" While the sheer presentation of an application by a private developer is no guarantee for developers that their applica- tions will be approved, road- widening does remove one of the greatest obstacles faced by these applications: name- ly that these would result in junction failure. Yet it may well be the case that the authorities will be under greater pressure when faced with applications along the widened road network, simply because by approving them they would vindicate the claim that road-widening is a pretext for urban sprawl. The Environment and Re- sources Authority, whose rep- resentative on the Planning Authority board voted for the Central Link project in Attard, is objecting to most of these applications including the one proposed in Mriehel and Zeb- bug. Developments facilitated by road widening Lidl supermarket in Zebbug The proposed development envisages the demolition of the existing SMW Cortis building to make way for a Lidl supermarket. The new su- permarket's underground car park will be accessed from At- tard Road while access to the loading bay will be from Mdi- na Road. The project will spill over onto a significant portion of land outside development zones, to accommodate park- ing and road access. Trans- port Malta confirmed that the new development could not be approved in the absence of the new road network. But it has now issued its clearance, claiming that the traffic it will generate will be mitigated by the Central Link project in At- tard. Roadside cafeteria in Mriehel A cafeteria being proposed instead of a derelict lime fac- tory along the extended Cen- tral Link network, which will bring it closer to the Mriehel bypass. Lo- cated right opposite the Fort Business Centre, the area in front of the site is being expropriated as part of the mas- sive roads project. The ERA is objecting to the development, warning that excavation of a basement for a car park would commit more ODZ land for future "piecemeal" development. Garden and retail centre in Attard An ODZ retail and office development on agricultural land off Sqaq il-Hofra in At- tard, down along the alley from the Citroen showroom and petrol station. The area where the development is proposed has been brought closer to the road network by the controversial Central Link project, which will be directly connected to the alley. An un- derground car-park for 51 car spaces is also proposed. The ERA is objecting to the devel- opment. Tal-Balal supermarkets Two adjacent supermarkets proposed instead of a site cur- rently occupied by the Kwik- mix concrete plant along the recently widened Tal-Balal road. The development is be- ing proposed by JDG Hold- ings, a company owned by Joseph Cassar. The develop- ment, set on 7,254sq.m, does not occupy the site of the ac- tual batching plant which is located further inside the ru- ral area. The supermarkets, set to be developed over one level, will rise to a maximum of 7.3m and be separated by a landscaped area, each occupy- ing 1,400sq.m of land fronting the landscaped area along the road. Paceville developments The Pembroke tunnel was first proposed in the appli- cation for the DB Group's high-rise development project which, along other develop- ments in St George's bay, is expected to generate 7,000 new car trips. The project has to be re-assessed by the Plan- ning Authority after its ap- proval was revoked by the law courts. Infrastructure Malta insists that the proposed road network is aimed to reduce traffic in several residential roads in Pembroke, Swieqi and St Julian's "whilst developing the necessary infrastructure to meet the area's future trans- portation requirements". The impact on heritage and eco- logical sites along the route still has to be assessed. Is road-widening triggering urban sprawl? Tal-Balal road: after its road widening, two supermarkets are being proposed next to each other