Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1542674
THE Planning Authority's case officer has recommended ap- proval for the dismantling and demolition of the former 31st March petroleum installation in Birżebbuġa. The Planning Board is due to take a final decision on the ap- plication on 12 February. The application has been pending approval for the past 10 years. Submitted by Enemalta plc, it seeks full development permis- sion to decommission the dis- used fuel storage facility close to Pretty Bay. Commissioned in the 1920s and widely known as the Shell installation, the depot was de- veloped during the British co- lonial period as a coastal fuel storage and distribution hub. Petroleum products were of- floaded directly from ships berthed at a purpose-built jet- ty and stored in large onshore tanks before being distributed by road tankers across Malta. The Marsaxlokk Bay Local Plan, approved in 1995, had al- ready called for the long-term relocation and removal of the fuel depot. Fuel storage operations at the site ceased followixng the com- missioning of a new depot at Ħas-Saptan, near the airport. The Birżebbuġa fuel plant was closed in the summer of 2021. With the relocation completed, Enemalta is now seeking per- mission to dismantle the obso- lete installation. The decommissioning process is expected to take some time and MaltaToday understands that a significant amount of work has already been conduct- ed. In June 2024, Energy Min- ister Miriam Dalli announced that the fuel storage facility had been cleared of all fuel residue, paving the way for the disman- tling of the tanks and the trans- formation of the ex-Shell jetty into a pedestrian zone. The case officer's report states that only after the site is for- mally cleared of dangerous substances can above-ground tanks, buildings and pipelines be dismantled. The process will also allow for detailed investi- gations into land and ground- water contamination that has accumulated over decades of fuel storage. The Environment and Re- sources Authority concluded that the project does not re- quire an environmental impact assessment and described the overall impact as beneficial. However, the Superintend- ence of Cultural Heritage ac- knowledged the site's industrial heritage value and recommend- ed that selected historic struc- tures, including parts of the boundary wall and older tanks, be considered for preservation and adaptive reuse in any future redevelopment. The permit does not propose any after-use, redevelopment, or new land use for the site. Reporting by James Debono 10 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 18 JANUARY 2026 NEWS Last year recorded lowest rate of reported theft since 1998 MALTA recorded its lowest rate of reported theft last year, ac- cording to figures tabled in par- liament last week. Replying to a parliamentary question by Labour MP Davi- na Sammut Hili, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri ar- gued the decline is particularly significant given the country's growing economy and tourism sector. Data provided by the ministry shows that total reported thefts stood at 4,405 in 2025, down from 5,206 in 2024 and less than half the levels recorded in the early 2000s, when annual theft reports regularly exceed- ed 10,000. Camilleri said the figures con- firm a long-term downward trend in theft, even when com- pared to years marked by lower economic and social activity. "If one compares last year with 2012, one can see that the theft rate in our country has been reduced by half," the min- ister said. He added the 2025 rate was also lower than during the COVID-19 period, despite the return of normal activity. The data shows theft reports peaked in the mid-2000s, reaching 11,333 cases in 2004, before beginning a gradual de- cline. By 2010, reports had fall- en to 7,827, dropping further to 6,551 by 2018. A sharp decrease was recorded during the pan- demic years, with 4,578 cases in 2020 and 4,458 in 2021 as people remained home for long periods thus denying criminals the opportunity to target emp- ty houses. Camilleri stressed the figures include all forms of report- ed theft, including those of low-value. He also said Malta was ranked among the world's 12 safest countries in the World Justice Project's Rule of Law Index. "This does not mean we can rest on our laurels," he cau- tioned. KARL AZZOPARDI kazzopardi@mediatoday.com.mt Planning board to decide on demolition of Shell fuel depot