Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/460957
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 11 FEBRUARY 2015 7 News area on former ODZ site an existing play area at ta' Zokrija. But in a meeting held in January the Planning Directorate's advisory team shot down this request be- cause of existing commitments to owners of plots and the "the highly fragmented pattern of land owner- ship". The former ODZ site will have a height limitation of three floors and a penthouse level. This suggests that MEPA is no longer following a recommendation to limit heights on rationalization sites to two floors. In October 2008, the minister responsible for planning wrote to MEPA recommending a two-storey limit on sites added to development boundaries through the rationaliza- tion exercise: this policy was adopt- ed by the MEPA board and applied to all sites affected by the rationali- zation exercise. But the development follows the policy set in the 2006 rationaliza- tion document which states that any development on these newly added development sites must be of the same height or lower than adjacent properties. In this case the development will still be slightly lower than the ad- joining development, which consists of three floors plus a semi-basement. The height limitation for this ra- tionalization site is being proposed as three floors but with a basement rather than a semi-basement. The third floor on that part of the site fronting on Triq iz-Zejfa will have to be receded by six metres from the underlying floor. If a pent- house level is constructed, this is to be set back by a further six metres from the underlying floor. According to the Planning Direc- torate the terracing effect that will result from the imposed set-backs of the receded floor and the pent- house will act as a suitable interface between the scheme edge and the Outside Development Zone area. MEPA will be taking a final deci- sion on the zoning of this site to- morrow. 60% of Maltese donate money to developing countries But only 42% would pay more for groceries from the same countries JAMES DEBONO A Eurobarometer survey shows that the Maltese rank in third place when it comes to giving money to charities which help developing countries but rank in 16th place in their willingness to pay a higher price for groceries imported from developing countries. The survey shows that only the Swedes and the Dutch surpass the Maltese in giving monetary dona- tions to charities active in helping people in developing countries. But the same survey also shows the Swedes and the Dutch ranked in the two top spots when it comes to willingness to pay an extra 5% to 10% for groceries imported from developing nations. In contrast the Maltese are in 16th place when it comes to will- ingness to pay more. While 82% are willing to pay at least 5% more on groceries imported from the third world, only 42% of Maltese are willing to do likewise. The Maltese are as willing to pay more for groceries from third world countries as the impoverished Greeks (42%) but more are willing to pay than the Italians (33%). The survey also shows that the Maltese participation as volunteers in organisations that help develop- ing countries is similar to the EU average (6%). The survey shows that northern and western EU countries are more willing to pay more for groceries imported from developing coun- tries than poorer southern and eastern Europeans. % who donate money to organisations that help developing countries 1. Netherlands .......................................... 65 2. Sweden ................................................ 65 3. Malta ................................................... 60 4. Finland ................................................ 59 5. Luxembourg .......................................... 56 28. Bulgaria ............................................... 3 EU average ............................................... 29 % who volunteer in organisations that help developing countries 1. Luxembourg .......................................... 12 2. Netherlands .......................................... 10 3. Slovenia ............................................... 10 4. Finland ................................................ 9 5. Austria ............................................... 9 12. Malta ................................................... 6 28. Bulgaria ............................................... 1 EU average ................................................ 6 % who are willing to pay more for groceries to help developing countries 1. Sweden ............................................... 82 2. Netherlands .......................................... 77 3. Luxemburg ........................................... 75 4. Germany ............................................... 70 5. Finland ............................................... 67 16. Malta ................................................... 42 28. Bulgaria ............................................... 18 EU average ................................................ 49