Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/517560
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 27 MAY 2015 7 News When ODZ is not ODZ MANY may have been shocked by the reply given by the Prime Min- ister on Monday to two staged parliamentary questions by La- bour MPs Silvio Parnis and Tony Agius Decelis, which revealed the massive scale of ODZ develop- ment permitted by MEPA over the past 20 years. Seen in the context of the de- velopment by Sadeen Group over land the size of 12 football grounds in Zonqor, Marsaskala, the revelation that 12,572 ODZ applications were approved in 20 years was clearly meant to con- vey the impression that the newly proposed development pales in significance to what has been al- ready approved under previous administrations. Nobody can deny that Malta has lost a large quantity of land to large-scale ODZ developments under PN governments. These ODZ developments in- cluded Charles Polidano's sprawl- ing cement plant in Hal Farrug, the infamous Lidl supermarkets approved in Luqa and Safi, and a number of ODZ hotels like the Seabank hotel in Ghadira, the Riviera hotel in Cirkewwa and San Lawrenz in Gozo. But the figures presented in par- liament also include massive but beneficial infrastructural projects such as sewage treatment plants, which are necessarily located in the ODZ. Moreover it also in- cludes roads, which gobble large amounts of land. For example, on its own the new coast road has consumed 56,000 square metres of undeveloped land. They also include the Mater Dei hospital, which is also located in an ODZ area. Also included are the over 200,000 square me- tre landfill in Maghtab, which is also ODZ. Other MEPA statistics give us a more clear idea of the scale of ODZ development in the country. For example, between 2000 and 2014 a total of 2,422 residential units were developed in ODZ sites. Of these 810 were approved between 2008 and 2014. But even these new units include a large number of farmhouse conversions and developments, which took place within existing hamlets. Permitted ODZ developments The 12,576 figure is extremely misleading simply because even an application to repair a rubble wall, construct a cesspit to con- form to the EU's environmental regulations or to lay pipes for es- sential services would count as an ODZ application. According to the Structure Plan, MEPA can only approve ODZ development which cannot be located within the development zone. While this rule has been abused to justify new tourism de- velopments, it makes logical sense when it comes to agriculture, most of which is limited to the de- velopment zone. Only last week MEPA received 18 applications for ODZ develop- ments. These include applications to construct boundary walls, greenhouses, stores, stables, tool rooms and alterations to existing dwellings. A similar number of applications mostly dealing with small-scale developments in agricultural ar- eas are received every week. ODZ development also includes conversions of existing dwell- ings like farmhouses not only in the countryside but also in small hamlets, which are still located ODZ. These applications may be con- troversial. One such case was a farmhouse developed by former PN president Victor Scerri in Bahrija instead of a countryside ruin. A number of architects have specialised in the art of tweaking the rules to get residential devel- opment disguised as an agricul- tural one approved. In this way a number of permits for storage facilities or stables have disguised what were effectively new resi- dential units. Areas of containment Moreover the ODZ also includes Areas of Containments and Areas for Open Storage and designated areas for small and medium in- dustries. In Malta there are 33 ODZ sites designated as Areas of Containment. These areas include a variety of locations, ranging from parts of Bahar ic-Caghaq, the Hal Mann site in Lija, various parts of Mdi- na Road, Saint Leonard Street in Zabbar, Tal-Balal in San Gwann and part of Hal Farrug road. Most of these areas are isolated pockets of developed land in a ru- ral context. In these areas MEPA policies allow it to approve ware- houses, petrol stations and even supermarkets. The ODZ designation of these sites is meant to ensure their con- tainment but does not exclude permits being issued on the foot- print of existing development. 15 ODZ sites in Malta and Gozo are officially designated for the construction and operation of Micro-Enterprise Parks. MEPA also regularly issued per- mits for the renewal of quarrying operations, which are also located in the ODZ. MEPA may also approve a change of use of already existing developments in ODZ areas. Only a few months ago MEPA approved the development of a new supermarket on an ODZ in Mosta. Yet in this case the devel- opment consists of the conversion of an already existing batching plant. MEPA has also approved tour- ist development on sites like the Ghajn Tuffieha barracks, which were already built up. Even if the new university is lo- cated in a historical fort like Rica- soli the development will still be taking place in an ODZ area, al- beit an already built one. It is clear that, in their criticism of the American University of Malta idea, when referring to ODZ development environmentalists are referring to undeveloped sites like Zonqor and not to sites which have already been developed. Changing the goalposts Moreover the planning goal posts have also been moved in the past two years to accommodate a variety of developments outside development zones. Therefore one should expect the number of ODZ applications to start increas- ing again following a lull in the past few years. The recently approved policy regulating ODZ development al- lows a greater volume and variety of developments, ranging from stables and stores to limited tour- ist accommodation on very large land holdings. The policy even allows buildings in buffer zones to Special Areas of Conservation and archaeological zones. Moreover new policies also pave the way for fireworks factories and 3,000 square metre petrol stations, which can be located in the ODZ. Changing mentality While the 12,576 figure may be trumpeted by apologists of devel- opment in Zonqor, the figure it- self may also spur people to think that the country has already lost too much to ODZ development and cannot afford to lose more. Moreover although a number of controversial developments were approved under previous admin- istrations, other developments like the proposed golf courses in Verdala and Xaghra l-Hamra, the Ta' Cenc and Hondoq ir-Rum- mien projects in Gozo and the proposed road in Ghadira were turned down or scrapped. Moreover, with the notable ex- ception of the Seabank hotel in Ghadira, the post-2008 PN gov- ernment elected on a pledge that "ODZ should be ODZ", was far less liberal than previous PN gov- ernments in dishing out permits in the ODZ. This change in policy was a re- sult of popular outrage at the PN led government's decision to ex- tend development zones in 2006. As a reaction the PN government backtracked from proposed de- velopment overlooking Ramla l- Hamra and abandoned plans for a golf course in Xaghra l-Hamra. The opposition to the proposed development in Zonqor reflects this change in public opinion. James Debono James Debono Solar farm proposed at former dump A photovoltaic farm is being pro- posed on the site of the former Wied Fulija landfill, right on its seaward boundary, located in the south coast in the vicinity of Zur- rieq. This emerges from a report pre- sented to MEPA aimed at com- mencing the rehabilitation of the site. "The objective is to utilise the available land area that is other- wise unusable, to generate power, in an efficient and eco-friendly manner, to be fed into the nation- al grid," a project development statement presented by Waste- Serv shows. According to the report, land- scaping with vegetation will be difficult on the seaward edge of the landfill due to the high wind and saline exposure on this side. "It is therefore being envisaged that a potential solution would involve the installation of photo- voltaic panels along the seaward slopes," the report says. But any such development can take place only if the effects of subterranean combustion can be mitigated. However further studies will have to be carried out before the erection of solar panels may be considered feasible and benefi- cial. The landfill at Wied Fulija com- menced operations in 1979 and accepted waste till1996. The site is situated in the ham- let of Wied Fulija, approximately 1.5 kilometres south of the town of Zurrieq. The Wied Fulija landfill has lain abandoned since it was closed, and there are no leachate and gas management systems in place. On several occasions subterrane- an fires have ignited the dumped waste, leading to surface fires. Over 12,500 development applications outside building zones have been approved since 1995 – permits that include hotels, supermarkets and homes, but also minor ones like cesspits, rubble walls and greenhouses. How comparable is this development to Zonqor's private university? Alternattiva Demokratika in 2008: Protesting about the planned Lidl supermarket in ODZ Safi Dump by the sea: Wied Fulija, where a solar farm is now being proposed