Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1243341
9 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 3 MAY 2020 NEWS The Chief Execu ve Officer, Malta Industrial Parks Ltd (MIP), no fies that sealed offers will be received for: MIP/BDU/RFP/002/2020 - REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND/OR OPERATION OF INDUSTRIAL PARKS Interested par es may download a copy of the Request for Proposals document from www.mip.com.mt. Proposals should be made in line with the relevant condi ons included in the Request for Proposals document. Submissions will be received in sealed packages, clearly marked with the relevant reference number, in the tender box situated at the MIP offices located in the address below, by not later than: 10:00 a.m. of Friday, 29 th May, 2020 Malta Industrial Parks Ltd 88, Msida Valley Road, Birkirkara, BKR9020 www.mip.com.mt Request for Proposals Attard council reiterates objections to new Scott's supermarket JAMES DEBONO THE Attard local council is opposing plans for a five-sto- rey supermarket by Scott's, in an open space characterised by two-storey dwellings. The supermarket chain al- ready owns a nearby super- market. The company, Said Invest- ments, wants to add an over- lying 22 apartments to the supermarket, but the local council is opposing the devel- opment of the open space be- tween Triq tal-Linja and Triq il-Mithna. The council says the project will create traffic congestion and is protesting the visual impact of the supermarket. The PA's advisory panel on design issues recently warned that Scott's revised proposal will have a severely negative impact on the urban fabric of the residential and villa areas. "Before this major issue is ad- dressed it seems premature to discuss the design concerns." The development is being proposed over 1,135 square metres of presently undevel- oped land, a short distance away from the official resident of the US ambassdor in Attard. The plans foresees a supermar- ket on the ground floor, four overlying levels of residential development, penthouses and three levels of basement garag- es. In 2015, the Planning Au- thority had approved a devel- opment on an adjacent site along Triq il-Mithna, consist- ing in the demolition of an ex- isting rustic building, to make way for apartments on three storeys. Residents have pointed out that two supermarkets, name- ly Scott's and M4, already ex- ist in the area while Smart and PAMA are a short distance away by car. A number of ma- ture trees, including Olive and Pine, are found in this green area bordered by Triq il-Linja, Triq Anthony Schembri and Triq il-Mithna. JAMES DEBONO A huge 28,000 square metre retail centre is being earmarked for the Barbros construction plant next to the Lidl supermarket in Zejtun. The two-storey centre will be built over 14,000 sq.m footprint, which is 40% of the current site. A similar application, now withdrawn, had been presented three years ago by Hudson In- ternational Group. The 'commercial hub' is outside develop- ment zones but the site is currently designat- ed as an area of containment – a zoning for areas which accommodate industrial or com- mercial related activities, located outside the development zone. The local plan allows the redevelopment of these sites when no deleterious impacts result from the proposed development on neigh- bouring sites. But the disturbed area is sur- rounded by agricultural land. Surface parking facilities will also spill outside the area of con- tainment. The development will actually incorporate the existing Lidl supermarket on the ground floor. The Planning Authority's design advi- sory committee wants three photomontages from different streets before giving its opin- ion. Objections have already been presented, with one resident saying the parking areas should be afforested with indigenous trees. A suggestion was made for a roof garden to diminish the project's negative impact. Resi- dents expressed concern on the scale of the project and traffic pressures. The latest application was presented by An- ton Schembri of the Schembri Barbros group. The previous Hudson application had includ- ed three levels of parking facilities. The previous application had been recom- mended for refusal before being withdrawn, because the parking area at the back of the site fell outside the area of containment boundary. A transport impact assessment was never presented. The TIA is currently being pre- pared for the present application. Zejtun: giant retail mall resurrected