Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/542972
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 19 JULY 2015 8 ON the eve of the 2008 general election, Marco Gaffarena was is- sued with an outline permit to con- struct stables on agricultural land in Zebbug next to a residence he bought in the same year. His application for a full permit was rejected in 2012. The original preliminary permit, to build 10 stables on a site in Triq 12 ta' Mejju, Zebbug, was issued on 5 March, 2008 – three days before the general election. The permit to build was issued against the advice of the MEPA case officer and just weeks after the Malta Environment and Planning Authority had issued an enforce- ment order against the illegal ex- tension of a pre-1967 building on the same site, and the construction of a boundary wall made of con- crete blocks. Back then the policy regulating ag- ricultural development, which has now been replaced by more liberal regulations, only allowed stables in outside development zones (ODZ) if such a development served to re- habilitate degraded land. The case officer concluded that the development could not be al- lowed because the applicant was responsible for its degradation. Gaffarena's architect insisted that his client had bought the land only in 2006 and was therefore not re- sponsible for the degradation. The case officer also called for a refusal because the proposed de- velopment was also in breach of the South Malta Local Plan, which forbids development within a val- ley protection zone. Despite the negative case of- ficer's report the development was still approved by the Development Control Commission (now de- funct), mainly because Gaffarena was not considered to be responsi- ble for the degradation of the site. But in approving the develop- ment, the DCC also imposed a number of conditions, which in- cluded the removal of all illegalities on the site and the embellishment of the site through landscaping. A year later Gaffarena applied for a full permit to construct 16 stables over 190 square metres of land, a 23-square metre office, two store-rooms, a stack room, sani- tary facilities and a 60-square me- tre horse bathing area. In total the proposed structures would occupy 390 square metres. But following the MEPA reform and the appointment of a full-time Environment Planning Commis- sion to replace the discredited, part-time DCC, Gaffarena ran out of luck. As in 2008, the case officer rec- ommended a refusal, arguing that Gaffarena had not removed the il- legalities and had failed to propose adequate landscaping and screen- ing. Moreover the enforcement di- rectorate revealed that several at- tempts to set an appointment to inspect the site from within had failed. But when the site was in- spected from the outside it was "evident that further works were carried out in breach of the no- tice". The Environment Protection Di- rectorate also insisted that the pro- posal resulted in the "degradation of the countryside" rather than in its improvement as required by the policy regulating agricultural de- velopment. In 2012 the Environment Plan- ning Commission chaired by San- dra Magro turned down the appli- cation by four votes against one. The only board member to vote in favour was today's MEPA board deputy chairperson, Elisabeth Ellul, who spearheaded the recent policy regulating ODZ development in agricultural areas, to make it easier for applicants to get permits for de- velopments like stables if they are built in timber. The enforcement order issued in 2008 remains pending right up to this day. News JAMES DEBONO A floating restaurant is being pro- posed for Triq it-Tarzna, beside the deck of the Macina in Isla, by the company Port Cottonera Lim- ited, in addition to the applica- tion for a two-storey hotel inside the Macina which the consortium filed in March 2015. The proposed restaurant will in- clude a 57 square-metre covered area and a 155 square-metre al fresco area. The application is a change from plans approved back in 2013 by the same consortium, to re-use the historical building for a mixture of exhibition space, conference facili- ties and catering establishments. The works approved in 2013 in- cluded the demolition of the sec- ond floor of an existing building, considered as an accretion to the original building. But this storey is being retained in the proposed hotel. The sheer bastion building (above) derives its name from the 'macchina', a mechanism which was used for ship-mast fitting. The mechanism was originally made of strong hardwood, but in 1864 the British changed it to a modernised steel structure. In 1927, the struc- ture was dismantled by the Admi- ralty to be replaced by a floating lift crane. Il-Macina has subsequently been used for a variety of purposes, including the Admiralty's Head Office, a Trade School and as the headquarters of the Malta Labour Party until 1992. Port Cottonera, which represents a variety of entrepreneurs and es- tablished business groups, is the developer of the Cottonera Water- front, which hosted the Casino de Venezia and a host of restaurants and corporate offices. The concession included the 3,000 square metre vaults of the Gateway Building, used for mari- na-related storage and chandler- ing, the Macina fort and the prom- enade. Floating restaurant proposed next to Macina How Gaffarena first got, and then lost, his stables in Zebbug Quotations are to be submitted by not later than Wednesday 22 July 2015, 11:00 am. Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology Administration Building, MCAST Main Campus, Corradino Hill, Paola PLA 9032. T: 2398 7100 F: 2398 7316 E: tenders@mcast.edu.mt www.mcast.edu.mt Calls for Quotations Operational Programme II – Cohesion Policy 2007-2013 Empowering People for More Jobs and a Better Quality of Life Project part-financed by the European Union European Social Fund (ESF) Co-financing rate: 85% EU Funds; 15% National Funds Investing in your future ESF 2.139 INCREASING ACCESSIBILITY , FLEXIBILITY AND INNOVATION TO MCAST LIFE�LONG�LEARNING COURSE OFFER Services of experiential knowledge experts in the following sectors: Q.63/2015 – Joiner (Woodworker) Q.64/2015 – Furniture Factory Woodworker MCAST is requesting quotations for services related to the identification of tasks that characterise experiential knowledge in the vocational sectors identified above. The Experiential Knowledge Experts shall be required to draw up tasks that are typically conducted by individuals in the specific sectoral occupations and link these tasks to learning outcomes and specific MCAST courses. The quotation documents can be viewed by accessing http://www.mcast.edu.mt/topmenu/tendersand quotations/quotations/quotationsnews/tabid/149/id/1220/services-of-exper iential-knowledge-experts-in-various-vocational-sectors.aspx The proposed restaurant will include a 57 square-metre covered area and a 155 square-metre al fresco area