Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1525500
JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt 8 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 18 AUGUST 2024 NEWS A fee of €50 will be charged for the tender documents and can be obtained from the Housing Authority's office. The Housing Authority reserves the right to refuse any tender, even the most advantageous. The Chief Executive Officer, Housing Authority notifies that: - Sealed tenders in respect of the following adverts have to be deposited in the tender box at the Housing Authority, 22, Pietro Floriani Street, Floriana by 10.00 a.m. on Friday, 30 August 2024 for: - Advert No. 4/2024. Sale tale quale of Room underlying Block C, Triq Bertha K. Ilg, Ta' Giorni. Offers below € 21,503 will not be considered. This advert is subject to right of first refusal. MINISTRY FOR SOCIAL AND AFFORDABLE ACCOMMODATION GOVERNMENT OF MALTA Zoning application for massive Nigret site to be decided before archaeological investigation A massive 18,300sq.m site in the Nigret area of Żurrieq, cur- rently consisting of agricultural fields and rural structures, is earmarked for the erection of five residential blocks. The zoning application pro- posed by Silvan Fenech's Tum Invest company proposes that apartment blocks will cover 70% of the site. The proposal will also see 25% of the site allocated for sports and recreational facilities, while a social and community facility is being proposed on the rest of the site. The proposal follows the local plan policy regulating development on the site. The development has already been assessed by a case officer, who is recommending approv- al. But the final decision will be taken by the PA's Executive Council on 10 September. If approved the zoning permit will set the parameters for sub- sequent development permits which still have to be issued by the PA. But the PA will be taking its decision on the zoning permit before the finalisation of an ar- chaeological evaluation of the site ordered by the Superin- tendence for Cultural Heritage. The SCH had recommended the evaluation take place before the zoning decision so that if any archaeological discoveries are made, the layout of the de- velopment is amended accord- ingly. But inexplicably, the same SCH gave the developer the op- tion of conducting the archaeo- logical studies after the zoning permit is issued, while insisting that no building permits are is- sued before the completion of this study. The area is known to harbour archaeological remains, with past investigations revealing the presence of rock-cut struc- tures, including a cistern roofed with arches, and possibly meg- aliths incorporated in existing rubble walls. The case officer is now recom- mending a condition stipulat- ing that "no part of the site, in- cluding roads, shall be released for development prior to the completion of a comprehensive archaeological survey which certifies that the building and road alignments will not have an unacceptable adverse im- pact on any features of cultural heritage importance." No objection from Żurrieq council The Żurrieq Local council had also issued its go-ahead for the development noting that the area has been earmarked for development for a long time, and the site is regulated by a lo- cal plan policy. But the council is also insist- ing that the area earmarked for a 'Social and Community Facil- ity' should include a home for the elderly to satisfy the current needs of the locality. Moreover, it also noted that the general layout of the de- velopment constitutes "a sig- nificant improvement" over an already approved zoning appli- cation covering part of the site. The proposed development will see the construction of of a new road passing midway through the site in a north- south direction to be connected to Triq Fra Ġammari Zammit at two different points. The zoning parameters were established in the 2006 South Malta Local Plan. The policy stipulates that 30% of the site is dedicated to recreational/sports facilities, of which 75% would be public open space, whilst the rest be- ing private. Moreover between 10-15% of the site is to be re- served for social and commu- nity facilities, while 55-60% is allocated for residential devel- opment and local convenience shops, including any internal roads and any parking provi- sion required by the develop- ment. But curiously, the same pol- icy added that in order to en- courage the comprehensive planning of the whole site, the Planning Authority could fa- vourably consider "increasing the percentage of site area for residential development to 70%, whilst reducing the site ar- eas for recreational and social/ community facilities to 25% and 5% respectively." Developers Tum Invest had already been granted a zoning permit on a substantial part of the site but opted to present another application covering an adjacent plot of land where development is regulated by the same local plan policy. The Environment and Re- sources Authority has ex- pressed no concerns on the development since it is "locat- ed entirely within development zone". A large area of farmland in Żurrieq that lies within the development boundaries is set to be lost to development proposed by Tum Invest