Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1404527
NEWS 7 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 25 AUGUST 2021 ERA clears way for Bahar ic-Caghaq caravan site JAMES DEBONO THE Environment and Resources Author- ity has issued its clearance for a 4,000sq.m caravan site over a disused part of the for- mer Coast Road near the Magħtab round- about. The plans were proposed by Infrastruc- ture Malta and the environment ministry despite a lack of detail on how the caravans will be organised in the plans submitted. The area, which is in close vicinity to l-Għadira s-Safra, a Natura 2000 site, al- ready hosts a number of caravans in what has been identified as a "temporary caravan site" along another site near the Armier boathouse shanty town. The site near Ar- mier was requested by the environment ministry which had asked Infrastructure Malta to conduct the works mainly consist- ing in the erection of a wall around the site. The two planning applications were sub- mitted after a clampdown on caravans at Mistra earlier on this summer. A spokes- person for Infrastructure Malta had made clear with MaltaToday that the road agen- cy's involvement is strictly limited to assist- ing the environment ministry with "minor civil works" for low boundary walls and where necessary, levelling and compaction works. Concern on the controversial project was expressed by the Naxxar local council, which lamented the lack of information on the lay-out of the caravans, which makes it impossible to assess their visual impact and on the disposal of sewage from the cara- vans. The Naxxar local council recently pro- posed a by-law to tackle the rising number of caravans along the Coast Road, but fell through due to the government stalling on the issue. Hunting fraternity Kaċċaturi San Ubertu (KSU) objected to the project, fearing the impact of the caravan site on a bird obser- vatory set to include brackish water ponds for wader species, on an adjacent stretch of the Coast Road that was granted to the or- ganisation. The KSU warned that the caravan site would aggravate an "already serious" situa- tion resulting from illegally parked caravans in the area. The hunters submitted photos of filth and waste left on site by caravan owners, who already use the area abusively. The ERA's approval is conditional on the building of a traditional, rubble wall and that no encroachment is made on the rocky shore. The placing of concrete bedding platforms is to be strictly prohibited and ERA is insisting that the permit does not signify entitlement to electricity services while levelling works are also excluded. ERA also insists that the use of the site should be temporary. But if the site is iden- tified as a permanent caravan site, a land- scaping plan has to be presented. The proposal still needs the approval of the Planning Authority board. A case officer report still has to be published al- though plans submitted are already marked as being "recommended for approval". Plans contain no details on lay out of caravans and are limited to erection of boundary wall around site which is located next to a proposed bird observatory and a Natura 2000 site