Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1451574
14 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 16 FEBRUARY 2022 EUROPE Hal Far racecourse: ERA says no need for impact assessment JAMES DEBONO THE Environment and Resourc- es Authority (ERA) has exempted a proposed racecourse at Ħal Far from the of an environmental im- pact assessment (EIA). Acknowledging that racing ac- tivities "will be a source of noise, vibration and light pollution" and that the impact on protect- ed birds and bats, as well as res- idents in the surrounding area were "unclear", the ERA said a full report on the project impact was not warranted. EIAs consist of voluminous studies assessing environmen- tal impacts, solicited in terms of reference issued by the ERA fol- lowing a 12-week consultation period where the public suggests which impacts are to be investi- gated. The ERA has ordered an assess- ment of the impact of the race- course on the nearby protected cliffs, a Special Area of Conser- vation, hosting the Cory's and Yelkouan Shearwater birds. Instead of a full study assessing the wider environmental im- pacts of the project and its car- bon footprint, the ERA wants an investigation of noise emissions and vibrations during racing, in accordance with an approved methodology. The ERA also wants a lighting plan to ensure that light is ful- ly contained within the site and installed in a way, which "avoids light pollution in the surrounding environment". The ERA warned against the uptake of "fresh land for road widening" after noting that the northern access to the Ħal Far industrial estate will be incorpo- rated within the racetrack. It also referred to the possible relocation of the various refu- gee centres in Ħal Far, especially those abutting the site, by cau- tioning that any relocation will have "to be assessed on its own merits". The recommendation was made in a project develo- ment statement, submitted by ADI Consultants on behalf of the Malta Motorsports Federation. The ERA said it does not envis- age any significant impact on the landscape with a four-storey high pit building being the highest structure on the site. Moreover, the development of the racetrack would replace sev- eral areas currently used as open storage yards that host several metal containers and areas for excavation waste. The removal of these uses will improve the visual amenity of the overall site. From an environmental point of view, the site is devoid of agricultural, ecological, landscape or cultural significance. The maximum length of the racecourse will be 1,938m, with the proposal including the race- track itself, which will have 12 turns and a start-finish straight of 472m, as well as a 4,885sq.m of paddock, grandstands, and access roads. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt JAMES DEBONO ONE of the last iconic, standalone Brit- ish-era buildings on Sliema's Tower Road, Britannia Flats, could see the erec- tion of five new storeys and a penthouse, raising its height from four to 10 floors. The additional floors on top of the building facing the Fond Għadir prom- enade, will accommodate ten brand new apartments built in a contemporary style that will jar with the rest of the building. Unlike a previous application, which proposed five new levels only on half the roof area – creating a blank party wall on the rest of the building – Fafner In- vestments' new proposal now covers the entire roof. But a Planning Authority case officer had deemed the previous application to be in breach of sanitary regulations, which state that in streets or open spac- es wider than 3m but less than 15m, the overall height of the facade should not exceed three times the width of the street. In this regard, the overall building height on Trejqet Luzju, indicated to be 3.88m wide, is not to exceed 11.64m. The Superintendence for Cultural Her- itage had described the existing building as having "architectural value" and ob- jected to the proposed façade. Britannia Flats is one of the few tradi- tional buildings untouched by the trans- formation of Tower Road in the 1980s and early 1990s, when traditional town- houses were knocked down to make way for eight-storey tower blocks. The back of the development fronts the narrow Trejqet Luzju, characterised by six-storey and three-storey devel- opments, and Amery Street, where the opposite building already reaches eight floors. The North Harbour Local Plan desig- nates the site with two different height limitations: eight floors pus semi-base- ment on Tower Road, six floors and a semi-basement on Trejqet Luzju and part of Amery Street. Developer seeks six floors over Sliema's iconic Britannia Flats ERA says impact of development not enough to warrant ERA but calls studies on light and noise pollution, as impact remains unclear MALTA RACETRACK PROJECT ĦAL FAR PROJECT DESCRIPTION STATEMENT Version 2: November 2021