Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1396480
NEWS 8 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 28 JULY 2021 Crematorium proposed near Addolorata cemetery JAMES DEBONO A crematorium has been pro- posed once again on a 7,638sq.m plot of agricultural land to the south of the Santa Maria Addol- orata Cemetery. The area, known as tal-Ħorr, is outside development zones and designated as an area of high landscape value and a strategic open gap between ur- ban areas. The application was present- ed by Johann Camilleri on be- half of Active Group Limited. The company also declared full ownership of the entire site. Plans foresee the develop- ment of a crematorium com- plex over two underground levels and a ground floor. Apart from the cremation area the development will also include two mortuaries, a multipur- pose hall, a reception area, two viewing rooms, a cold room, five columbariums and other ancillary facilities. No existing trees will be felled but existing rubble walls will be demolished or altered. A previous application by the same company had been refused in June 2018, before a new law regulating crematori- ums came into place. On that occasion the case officer recommended refusal on the basis of a planning pol- icy introduced in 2014 which banned the development of new cemeteries and only allows extensions to existing ones. This means that crematori- ums can only be developed as an extension of existing cem- eteries. While recognising the need for alternative funerary techniques, the case officer had noted that the site for the de- velopment does not form part of the area identified by the local plan for cemetery exten- sions. Moreover at that time, con- sultation with the relevant health authorities indicated a lack of legislation on the oper- ation of a crematorium. Cremation services have only been legal in Malta since May 2019 after a landmark piece of legislation was approved by Parliament. The law stip- ulates that any crematorium has to have a mortuary, a view- ing room, adequate facilities for the extraction of implants from the body, a cremation room and a storage room for remains. Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar, who had spearheaded the law, had argued that studies indi- cated that only one cremato- rium would be viable in Malta and hinted that the way for- ward was either a public-pri- vate partnership, or the issue of a tender. NICOLE MEILAK THE Police Commissioner must take action against those involved in the Electrogas cor- ruption scandal, the Nationalist Party said. In a statement, the party referred to yesterday morning's court hearing in the compilation of evidence against Yorgen Fenech, the alleged mastermind behind the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder. "The testimony heard today confirms once again how much needs to be done to ensure that justice is served and that everyone involved in the corruption sur- rounding the Electrogas power station be brought to court on charges of criminal offenses." "Police Commissioner Angelo Gafá now has the facts in his hands to confirm what is now well known: Daphne Caruana Gali- zia was killed because she knew too much about the theft and corruption surround- ing Joseph Muscat's clique." The party said that Gafá should take re- sponsibility and charge all those that have been involved in this scandal. "The Oppo- sition has waited long enough." "The Commissioner of Police has to act. If he fails to do this, he will condemn him- self to the same legacy of his predecessor - one who looked after and protected the in- terests of the few over justice and fairness." The statement shares a similar sentiment to that expressed by Repubblika last week. The NGO hit out at the Commissioner, accusing him of neglecting high-level cor- ruption cases. PN calls on Police Commissioner to take action on Electrogas Police Commissioner Angelo Gafá