Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1309486
6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 15 NOVEMBER 2020 NEWS JAMES DEBONO A supermarket outside the de- velopment zones in Burmarrad has been reactivated after being 'suspended' for the past year by its developers. The supermarket is being pro- posed next to a petrol station approved by the Planning Au- thority in 2018, but which is yet awaiting the appeals verdict of the Environment and Planning Tribunal. The supermarket is proposed on a 6,870sq.m plot of agricultur- al land along Burmarrad Road in the intersection with Triq is-Sar- din, which already hosts a repair yard and offices owned by Bon- nici Brothers, dating back from the 1990s. No plans have been submitted since the first application of May 2018. But now, the intersection be- tween Triq is-Sardin and Triq Burmarrad has been identified for the development of a new roundabout in plans by Infra- structure Malta which are yet to be approved by the PA. The supermarket plans had been suspended for over year but then only reactivated following the announcement of the round- about plan. Applicants often re- quest suspensions when they are biding for time or are reconsider- ing their plans. MaltaToday is informed that apart from the Environment and Resources Authority's strong objections to urban sprawl in the ODZ, one major objection concerns the supermarket's traf- fic impact. In September 2018 Transport Malta had referred the application to the PA's traf- fic planning unit, noting that a traffic impact assessment may be necessary. While presently traffic along Triq is-Sardin is relatively low, the situation could change if the supermarket is approved. Farmers in the area became aware of the impending road- works towards the end of Sep- tember when Infrastructure Malta placed notifications on the low-lying walls outside their farming territory, land that spreads over 21 tumoli. The plans include two new roundabouts "to improve the safety" of Burmarrad Road's crossroads with Is-Sardin Road, Tal-Hmieri Road and Ghajn Ri- hana Road, IM said. IM insists that the rounda- bout at the corner with Is-Sar- din Road, located next to the proposed supermarket, will also serve as a traffic-calming meas- ure as road users approach the residential area of Burmarrad. IM said the roundabout will reduce accident risks along this 2.5-kilometre road and its junc- tions "with nearby arterial, resi- dential and rural roads", noting that these crossroads are "acci- dent black spots with a history of collisions and serious conse- quences to road users, especially due to the lack of measures dis- couraging overtaking and speed- ing." An IM spokesperson told Mal- taToday that lay-bys and round- abouts included in the second phase of the project necessitate the take-up of small pockets of additional land beyond the exist- ing road footprint. The agency has submitted the necessary applications to the Planning Authority and launched the process to expropriate the re- quired lands or to terminate the respective lease agreements. When asked about the fate of an old reservoir in the area, the spokesperson explained that it is proposing raising the footpath along one side of the roundabout with ramps so that it goes over part of the reservoir, without having to dismantle it. This will avoid reducing its capacity. However, a small section of one of the corners of the rectangular structure will need to be rebuilt in a new alignment to accom- modate the new stretch of cycle lane, which cannot be raised in the same way as the footpath. IM has already commenced works which do not require a planning permit in the area. These include the development of several safety measures with- in the existing road's footprint, such as the introduction of traf- fic calming gateways and median safety barriers. The road does not currently have any form of protection from cross-median crashes. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt JAMES DEBONO A new supermarket is being proposed in the Josmar warehouse complex along Triq id-Difiza Civili in Mosta, less than 60 metres away from an existing Lidl su- permarket on a site where the demolition of existing warehouses yielded archaeo- logical remains. The Planning Authority had already ap- proved the redevelopment of the ware- house complex in 2019. The latest application proposes a su- permarket on the ground floor, over the same 1,500sq.m footprint of the previously approved warehouses, and a two-storey underground car park for 134 vehicles. Warehouses will be retained on the first floor. Archaeological excavations in the ar- ea after the issuance of the warehouses permit unearthed a catacomb with three chambers, four tombs – some of which consist of double chambers – and a pair of cart-ruts, apart from ancient quar- ries, rock-cut features and agricultural trenches. The supermarket's latest plans foresee a change in layout and size of the basement level following the discovery of these ar- chaeological features. The developers had already proposed a retail complex back in 2018, but the proposal was dropped after the PA's planning directorate pointed out that the area had been zoned for industrial devel- opment where retail shops were not ac- ceptable. Instead the PA approved the recon- struction of a two-storey existing ware- house complex with underlying garage. The owners protested that the nearby Lidl supermarket had been permitted, despite the designation of the area as industrial. In reply, the PA directorate noted that while retail outlets are not ac- ceptable in industrial sites, supermarkets are considered as an "acceptable intro- duction in industrial areas." Peprina Ltd, the company owned by Christian James Gatt and Nathalie Gatt, presented the application. Although outside development zones, the area is a so-called 'area of containment' where industrial and commercial development is normally allowed. Infrastructure Malta recently applied to upgrade the roundabout junction linking Triq id-Difiza Civili to Triq il-Kostituzz- joni to include bypass lanes. The devel- opment will result in the uprooting of 22 trees including two Aleppo Pine trees. Burmarrad supermarket plan left dormant since 2018 is back on the table after Infrastructure Malta announces 'traffic calming' roundabout right next to site Supermarket plan reactivated as IM plans Burmarrad roundabout Tombs and cart ruts have been found during excavations approved on the site of the proposed supermarket New supermarket proposed right next to Mosta Lidl