Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/507285
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 6 MAY 2015 7 termined by the government and the investors themselves. Therefore if the university needs 90,000 square metres of land, they will have no alternative but to find a site which is as big as that. They also run the risk of propos- ing sites for development which may not be chosen for this invest- ment, which will return to haunt them in the future when new de- velopments are proposed on the very sites proposed as alternatives in a desperate bid to avoid develop- ment at Iz-Zonqor. The Ricasoli alternative Alternattiva Demokratika was the first to thread on thin ice by propos- ing Fort Ricasoli as the site for the new university. The site surely has advantages – it is 70,000 square metres in area, 20,000 square metres short of the required 90,000 square metres, and is presently in an abandoned state which cries out for restoration. AD has also proposed that the remain- ing 20,000 square metres are de- veloped in Smart City, a proposal which would require the consent of a third party. By proposing a site AD has also proved that its primary aim is not that of torpedoing a development which may have a positive impact on the economy. In that it has dispelled the perception that it is a negative anti-development party. But AD may have overstepped its role as a political party by delving into site selection, an area which re- quires technical expertise and com- prehensive studies. What will happen if the govern- ment does give adequate considera- tion to this site? What if studies show that the inevitable consequence of accommodating a building meeting the architectural requirements of a modern university would be that of turning Ricasoli into yet another ug- ly development like Fort Chambray? What if the choice is limited to over-development of a historical building and a "beautifully" land- scaped ODZ development? The use of Fort Ricasoli may also clash with other interests, like those of the film industry. On their part NGOs have so far refrained from identifying a single site and have proposed spreading the university in different build- ings interspersed in historical forts in the Kalkara-Zonqor stretch. Al- though not mentioned Fort Rica- soli is the largest of these forts and its inclusion would be vital for the feasibility of the NGO proposal. The problem for NGOs is wheth- er this could also pave the way for more development in between these historical sites. Converting old forts in to lecture rooms and halls may be impossible without embarking on major works which may result in unacceptable accretions on these buildings. NGOs are also insisting that ac- cess to historical sites for Maltese inhabitants is secured while at the same time accepting the principle that these forts are handed over to a foreign university. Ironically the same NGOs have recently backed a bill proposed by the PN to enable the government to incorporate these sites in the public domain, thus excluding their commerciali- sation. The government has already tak- en a hint from the suggestion made by AD and environmental NGOs, for it is now sounding out the pos- sibility of incorporating in the new campus development St Leonard's Fort, which lies in the vicinity of the ODZ area already identified for the project. The risk of this is that as hap- pened in the case of MIDI's resto- ration of the Manoel Island fort, the restoration of abandoned piec- es of heritage may be used to green wash unsustainable development in their surroundings. Previous site selection studies The previous government had excelled in using site selection ex- ercises to inf luence public opin- ion, although it never resorted to involve NGOs in its game. In 2001 it proposed two sites for an engineered landfill; one in Birzebbugia, which was clearly un- acceptable, and the former dump in Maghtab. Another more professional site selection exercise was conducted by MEPA to choose sites where a golf course could be developed. The study identified problems with all sites which had been consid- ered. Ultimately the government ended up overruling MEPA by pro- posing the Xaghra l-Hamra site, which was not even considered in the site selection exercise. A site selection exercise was also carried out as part of the EIA for the Sant'Antnin recycling plant. According to a report by MEPA's audit office, the alternative sites considered were chosen by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority on the wrong premise that the Sant'Antnin plant cur- rently covers a land area of 1.8 hectares. In fact, the current recycling plant in Marsaskala covers an area of 4.5 hectares. All the alternative sites identi- fied by MEPA were less than half the size of the current location in Marsaskala. The management of natural parks was also used as a carrot for NGOs by previous governments. ENGO Nature Trust was involved in the management of the Dwejra natural park in Gozo, whose action plan paved the way for the approval of a number of illegal boathouses before the 2008 general election. After ditching the Xaghra l- Hamra golf course the PN gov- ernment also involved ENGOs in the management of the Majjistral park. News Notice of meeting to be held in public e Malta Environment & Planning Authority will meet on ursday 7 th May, 2015 at 14:00 hours at the MEPA boardroom, St. Francis Ravelin, Floriana, to discuss the following: D E T E R M I NAT I O N O F P L A N N I N G C O N T RO L A P P L I C AT I O N S : PC 0006/15: Site is between Triq il-Fortizza and Triq Salvu Camilleri, Mellieha. Proposed change in road alignment whereby road be shied from the north side up to the existing water reservoir. PC 0001/13: Site at 'Ta' Mawua', Triq Mongur, Gharb, Gozo. To establish zoning, building heights and alignment of roads and buildings of the Rationalisation Exercise Site (2006). Subject to the maximum seating capacity, seats can be reserved on request for the applicant and registered objectors. Remaining seating is lled on a rst come rst served basis. RESERVATIONS: 2290 2018 30 th April, 2015 www.mepa.org.mt Natural Park carrot The use of Fort Ricasoli may clash with other interests, such as those of the film industry but its inclusion would be vital for the feasibility of the NGO proposal