Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/195525
9 News maltatoday, SUNDAY, 20 OCTOBER 2013 Mistra Valley years have been safeguarded by a number of tribunal decisions which have overturned the MEPA board's decision whenever it refused planning permission on a site which was covered by an outline development permit." The North West Local Plan limits development in the area to a maximum of eight storeys, and MEPA can only consider "slight departures" from this height if the scheme has a "noteworthy urban and architectural design". In this case, an additional four storeys over and above the local plan limit are being considered as a slight departure. The Xemxija Bypass The controversial Imbordin road, part of the TEN-T network, was proposed as a solution to the Xemxija bottleneck before 2008. But amid major environmental concerns, the road was not even considered one of the transport authority's priority projects for the period 2007-2013. A favourable MEPA board decision on the 774-apartment project could force the government to speed up the process for the new road's approval. The Imbordin road comprises a 545m tunnel that will pass under Xaghra ta' l-Ghansar. This was proposed as an alternative to the Manikata road network, which was shot down in 2006 after protests from farmers in the area. Former roads minister Jesmond Mugliett described the new bypass as "a very tricky issue", acknowledging that the alternative route posed a risk to the Mizieb aquifer, protected by European laws but already endangered by the illegal extraction of water. The new road network would surely alleviate the traffic choking Xemxija Hill, the main artery linking Malta to Mellieha and Gozo, which takes 23,000 cars every day. But the tunnel treads on the easternmost edge of a drinking water protection zone, covered by EU legislation. The proposed road will partly utilise an already established route starting from Triq Ghajn Tuffieha to Xemxija road, to Mizieb across the Pwales Valley and close to the agricultural areas of Ta' Gannaru and l-Imbordin. It then connects to the 545m tunnel under the Xaghra ta' l-Ghansar ridge, and a small flyover bridge up to the existing Mellieha road. But the new project raises concerns about the ecological impact on a scheduled area which serves as a buffer zone to the Simar reserve. In the past years, MEPA has scheduled the Simar area, which includes parts of Pwales, Simar, l-Imbordin, Ta' Gannaru, ix-Xaghra ta' l-Ghansar and Ta' Rkuplu. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt