Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1327573
4 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 13 JANUARY 2021 NEWS Letter of Intention The Director, Mr. Fijohn Francis Elavathingal of LIFELIGHT SERVICES LTD., declares their intention for the company to register for an Employment Agency licence in accordance to article 23 of the Employment and Training Services Act, 1990 (Act XXVIII of 1990). The activities proposed to be carried out are the following: 1) Recruitment Consultancy 2) Interviewing, selection and placements of candidates in employment 3) Recruitment of persons from abroad to employment in Malta or in an EU member state 4) Recruitment of persons in Malta for employment in Malta or in an EU member state 5) Advertising of the filling of vacancies 6) Keeping a register of applicants for employment Official Registered Office Address: 249, Triq Tumas Chetcuti,Attard ATD3038, Malta The office address of the premises at which the employment agency or employment business is to be carried out: The Food Factory,BLB009X,Bulebel Industrial Estate, Bulebel, Malta Company Registration Number: C96322 NICOLE MEILAK GAVIN Gulia has won the casual election for the 7th District seat vacated by Edward Scicluna after obtaining 2,216 votes in a runoff with Jeffrey Pul- licino Orlando. At the final count Gulia obtained 466 more votes than Pullicino Orlando. The other candi- date vying for the seat, Charles Azzopardi, was the first to be eliminated. In his first comments on his return back to par- liament, Gulia said he will be resigning from the post of chairperson at the Malta Tourism Au- thority. On the first count Azzopardi inherited 1,028 votes. He was eliminated. Gavin Gulia inherited 1,486 votes, while Pul- licino Orlando received 1,479 votes, taking the casual election down to the wire. At the Naxxar counting hall, Azzopardi closely followed the process and was supported by inde- pendent candidate Arnold Cassola. Since the 2017 general election, Azzopardi fell out with Labour after he was not allowed to con- test the 2019 local elections on its behalf follow- ing allegations of corruption and nepotism dur- ing his tenure as Rabat mayor. A police investigation was carried out into the claims, but no charges have been filed against him. Azzopardi's elimination from the race avoid- ed an embarrassing moment for the PL. Despite contesting the last general election on the La- bour ticket, he is a life member of the Nationalist Party and voted in last year's leadership election. At one point this morning, Cassola accused one of the vote sorters of misplacing votes that should have gone to Azzopardi into Gulia's pi- geon hole. The votes were resorted again. Gulia had previously served as an MP and min- ister but failed to get re-elected in 2017. Pullicino Orlando, a former PN MP, defected to the Labour Party after falling out with the Gonzi administration in 2012. Gavin Gulia wins casual election to replace Edward Scicluna in parliament Only seven votes separated Gavin Gulia and Jeffrey Pullicino OIrlando after the first count JAMES DEBONO PLANNING Authority exec- utive chairman Martin Saliba has defended the need of a "new junction" to provide access to the Mriehel industrial estate, claiming the existing situation as a "dangerous one". Saliba was reacting to con- cerns expressed by Graffitti activists on a proposed flyover over agricultural land in Qormi during a discussion on the pro- posed lifting of building heights in industrial zones in Marsa and Mriehel. "Without entering in to the merits of a particular proposal which still has to be discussed, it is clear that Mriehel needs a new access," he insisted. Wayne Flask from Moviment Graffitti expressed concern on the "assault of infrastructural projects" in the area, including the proposed flyover at Mriehel, which would result in the up- take of 20 tumoli of land. He asked whether the lifting of height limits would pave the way for transforming an indus- trial area into a commercial one. Karen Tanti, also from Movi- ment Graffitti, warned that ap- proving the new policy in the absence of a masterplan will result in "chaos". She asked for evidence and studies justifying the lifting of height limitations. On his part Saliba justified the changes in heights as a way to maximise space in the area and avoid taking up new land. Opposition representative David Thake accused the gov- ernment of taking people for a ride, warning that lifting height limitations will result in high- rise and speculative develop- ment. Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia defended the changes as a way of accommodating the kind of industries Malta wants to attract, without increasing the land take-up in agricultural land. "We are constantly faced with the challenge of finding space for industry." Currently building heights in these areas are limited to 12m in Marsa and 14m in Mriehel. The proposal, which will in- clude amendments to South Malta and Central Malta Local Plans, is for building heights in these zones to be determined by non-numeric, urban design policies, achieving a balance between optimising the space available whilst respecting the environment and the commu- nities that live and work within these areas. The proposed urban design parameters which will guide the assessment of building heights will include the operational needs of the business, the un- der-ground development poten- tial, the topography of the site, the proximity of sites/buildings that must be safeguarded and the impact upon the skyline. Planning Authority chairman defends need for Mriehel flyover