Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1515910
7 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 14 FEBRUARY 2024 NEWS JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt THE Environment and Resourc- es Authority is not objecting to residential development consist- ing of 13 five-storey blocks on disused farmland in Swatar. The land is situated be- tween Valley Road, behind the Charles Grech outlet, and Triq Indri Grima above it. The land which provides soil cover in the flood prone ar- ea was added to development zones in the infamous exten- sion of boundaries in 2006 on condition that only low-density development is approved on it. "Given that the site is located entirely within the Develop- ment Zone (DZ), there are no major concerns on this propos- al from an environmental point of view," ERA said. This stance is consistent with ERA's position on sim- ilar developments proposed on rationalisation sites in the past years but ignores environ- mental concerns raised by the Msida council which wants to extend a public afforestation project on an adjacent site to this area. While issuing its go-ahead for the approval of the zoning ap- plication aimed at establishing the height and massing of the proposed development, ERA pointed out that more detailed environmental screening in- cluding environmental impact assessments, may be required when the developers apply for a full planning permit. But while such studies can mitigate the impacts of the proposed development, the PA is obliged to approve future de- velopments, within the param- eters of the zoning permit. ERA is also proposing several generic conditions. These include the use of sus- tainable urban drainage sys- tems which are to be integrated as part of the design of the site to collect, attenuate and treat surface water runoff, thereby minimising risk of localised flooding. It is also calling for the inclu- sion of a "public green space" which should be commensu- rate to the scale, height and configuration of the proposed development in the planning of this site. The Labour-led Msida lo- cal council is objecting to the development noting that the proposal is contrary to the parameters established in the rationalisation exercise which foresaw "low density detached building development" limit- ed to the lower 50% of the site with the rest being retained as open space. In contrast the current plan shows that the proposed build- ing will have a height of 17.5m (five floors) and therefore does not qualify as low-density de- velopment. Moreover, the local council noted that the development is adjacent to another site ear- marked for an afforestation project being implemented by Ambjent Malta. "Therefore, instead of devel- oping more buildings, it would be more ideal to pursue a plan that preserves the environment and takes initiatives for greener development by planting more trees and restoring the rub- ble walls so that the area will be conserved for the common good of all in the present and, more importantly, for the fu- ture", the council said. The latest plans presented by landowner David Grech show buildings spread on a foot- print of 7,129sq.m. A further 2,252sq.m will consist of in- ternal pavements and roads. It also foresees a public open space of 5,122sq.m and private open space of 4,265sq.m which together would occupy 50% of the site. To address flooding concerns due to the take up of a val- ley side in a notoriously flood prone area, the developers have proposed reservoirs beneath each residential block with a storage capacity of 7,400 cubic metres to be used either as sec- ond-class water or to irrigate the green spaces. ERA gives go-ahead to Swatar valley development Instead of developing more buildings, it would be more ideal to pursue a plan that preserves the environment and takes initiatives for greener development by planting more trees and restoring the rubble walls