Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1494132
6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 5 MARCH 2023 NEWS JAMES DEBONO A draft policy for standalone crematoria will rule out crema- tion facilities in Areas of High Landscape Protection. That would mean a pro- posed cremation facility on a 7,600sq.m of agricultural land to the south of the national Addolorata cemetery, would be precluded under the proposed rules. The area, known as tal-Ħorr, is designated as an Area of High Landscape Protection and a strategic open gap be- tween urban areas. The application was present- ed in 2021 by funeral under- taker Johann Camilleri on be- half of Active Group Limited. The application is currently suspended in anticipation of the new policy. The proposed crematorium would have a 560sq.m building, and an 890sq.m columbarium. A previous application was refused by the Planning Au- thority in 2018 because such development is not allowed by the present policy, which on- ly allows cremation facilities within extensions of existing cemeteries. The new policy will now allow standalone crema- toria outside the development zones, if they satify a number of stringent criteria. The sites will have to be with- in 200m of existing cemeter- ies. But for proposals on agri- cultural land they will require clearance is obtained from the PA's agricultural advisory committee, an advisory panel which had already objected to the Tal-Ħorr crematorium in 2018. Camilleri's Camilleri Funer- al Directors International had submitted its feedback on the new policy in July 2022, re- minding the PA of his compa- ny's application as "submitted by Robert Musumeci" while offering his "assistance" to es- tablish design criteria, techni- cal specifications and ancillary facilities required for such pro- jects. Camilleri said his com- pany had carried out extensive research on crematoria, taking ideas from different projects to fit in to the local funeral indus- try. The PA's official reply was that the policy review will in- clude "specific locational cri- teria" for crematoria that will guide applications. The new policy was discussed by parliament's development committee earlier on this week, where it emerged that the draft policy was not preceded by any feasibility study establishing how many cremation facili- ties could be allowed, raising the question on why the PA was devising an entire policy framework for a service which can be provided by a single na- tional facility. The committee heard views from different stakeholders, including Moviment Graffitti's Denise Grech, who argued in favour of one state-owned fa- cility located on already devel- oped land, and quoting Labour MP Rosiane Cutajar saying that only one cremation facility will be required. Cutajar had made the state- ment in an interview with TVM's Xtra Sajf when she was piloting the cremation law. Cutajar had said: "It's not via- ble to have more than one cre- matorium because the numbers are what they are… a simple calculation would convince an- yone that there's no need for more than one." PA official Joseph Scalpello, who presented the policy to MPs, said the aim of the policy is not to control numbers but set clear guidelines where such facilities can be approved. The draft rules will allow cre- matoria outside the building zones (ODZ) if these are within 1.5km of the principal urban area's boundary. For Gozo, cre- matoria will only be allowed in the countryside around Rabat and Xewkija. Natura 2000 sites, Areas of High Landscape Protection, industrial areas, ridges, wood- lands, garigue, valleys and oth- er protected areas are exclud- ed. ODZ crematoria are also limited to sites covered by a valid development permission, provided that the permit is not related to agriculture, animal husbandry, greenhouses and garden centres. Crematoria sizes are limited to a 500sq.m footprint, with maximum heights of 7.7m apart from allowances for ar- chitectural features and a chimney structure. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Crematoria policy rules out Addolarata proposal Permit request for cremation facility outside Addolorata overruled by draft policy as it lies inside Area of High Landscape Protection A proposed cremation facility on a 7,600sq.m of agricultural land to the south of the national Addolorata cemetery, would be precluded under the proposed rules