Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/561386
4 THE Chamber of Commerce has called on the government to oblige Sadeen to neutralise the environ- mental cost of their private uni- versity campus at Zonqor Point. In a statement, the Chamber said that the Jordanian construc- tion firm should be obliged to use recycled materials in the Zonqor building, as well as other energy efficiency measures that would reduce the building's carbon foot- print on the environment. Prime Minister Joseph Mus- cat announced last week that the controversial 'American Univer- sity of Malta' project will be split between two locations – Dock 1 in Cospicua and Zonqor Point. The Zonqor campus will in- corporate 18,000 square metres of land situated outside develop- ment zones, and is a significant reduction from the 90,000 square metres of ODZ land that was orig- inally proposed. "We would have preferred the use of ODZ land to be avoided completely, with the project being located entirely in a retrofitted building or on land within an in- side-scheme zone," the Chamber said. "That said, however, we are not in favour of rigid or prescrip- tive policies that could distort a decision-making process that could strike a positive balance between socio-economic growth and environmental safeguards through sustainable develop- ment." While the Chamber said that the siting of the campus at Dock 1 would contribute to the economic and social regeneration of Cos- picua, it warned that it cannot be expected to single-handedly solve all the area's problems. It also highlighted the lack of detail in the plans, with respect to the project brief and safeguards necessary to prohibit any change of use of the project. "Such safeguards are rendered all the more necessary in view of the prime sites being committed," it said. The Chamber called on the gov- ernment to develop a strategy that clearly identifies possible areas and locations to accommodate large- scale foreign investment projects that dovetails with existing local plans so as to ensure a holistic ap- proach to planning. MEPA, they said, should also es- tablish a set of sustainable devel- opment standards for all projects, particularly for large-scale ones. maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 26 AUGUST 2015 News YOUR FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY www.maltatoday.com.mt āċŏ0.101.(ŏ!,%./ŏ* ŏ!"1.%/$)!*0ŏ+.'/ŏ+"ŏ(+'ŏĂČŏ(0/ŏăĂŏĒŏăăČŏ0ċŏ1(Ě/ŏ $1.$ŏ.!Čŏ+/,%1ŏ%*ŏ*ŏ*2%.+*)!*0((5ŏ.%!* (5ŏ**!.ŏĨ!"ċŏŏĂćĥĂĀāąĩċŏŏ ŏ)!!0%*#ŏ+*ŏ/%0!ŏ/$((ŏ!ŏ..%! ŏ+*ŏă. ŏ!,0!)!.ŏĂĀāĆŏ0ŏĉċĀĀ)ċ Ăċŏ+*/0.10%+*Čŏ!.2%!/ŏĒŏ%*%/$%*#ŏ+.'/ŏ0ŏĂĊČŏ.%-ŏ +$**5ŏ0*%Čŏ/% ŏ%*ŏ*ŏ *2%.+*)!*0((5ŏ.%!* (5ŏ**!.ŏĨ!"ċŏŏĂăĥĂĀāąĩċŏŏ)!!0%*#ŏ+*ŏ/%0!ŏ/$((ŏ!ŏ ..%! ŏ+*ŏą0$ŏ!,0!)!.ŏĂĀāĆŏ0ŏĉċĀĀ)ċ û!./ŏ(+/!ŏ+*ŏĂĊ0$ŏ!,0!)!.ŏĂĀāĆČŏ0ŏĀĊċăĀ$./ċ (!/!ŏ!//ŏ0$!ŏ!ġ0!* !./ŏ".+)ŏ333ċ!0!* !./ċ#+2ċ)0ċ ŏ ŏŏĂŏŏ Labour councillor appointed on MEPA tribunal JAMES DEBONO ARCHITECT Roderick Spiteri, a Labour councillor who also served as mayor of Poala between 2012 and 2015, has been appointed to serve on the Malta Environment and Planning Authority's Tribunal for Review as an "ad hoc commit- tee" member together with lawyer Carol Bugeja. The Tribunal, a quasi-judicial body, has a final say on appeals presented against decisions taken by the planning authority boards. As an ad hoc member Spiteri, a practising architect, will serve in cases where one of the three full members of the authority declares a conflict of interest and cannot judge a particular case. The present tribunal, chaired by planner Martin Saliba, includes ar- chitect and Freeport chairman Rob- ert Sarsero and lawyer and Labour candidate Simon Micallef Stafrace. Both Sarsero and Micallef Stafrace have their own private practice and have to abstain in cases affecting their clients. Sarsero is listed as a shareholder of Arkea Projects and Main Properties Ltd. Contacted by MaltaToday Spiteri insisted that he will be abstaining in any case involving either the Labour Party or the Poala local council as this would represent a conflict of interest. As all other tri- bunal members he will also abstain in any case involving clients. "I have no conflict in any case in- volving people I do not know and with whom I have no professional relationship," he said. Asked whether he would feel any conflict in cases in which the gov- ernment is involved, Spiteri replied that "one has to see the merits of each case". The President, on the advice of the Prime Minister, currently ap- points members of the committee. The proposed MEPA demerger law makes such appointments the direct responsibility of the Prime Minister. According to the new law, government agencies including the newly created Environment Au- thority will be given an automatic right to appeal MEPA decisions. The part-time board composed of Sarsero, Micallef Stafrace and Saliba was appointed in 2013 to complement an existing board composed of architect Chris Fal- zon as chairperson, Dr Ramon Rossignaud and architect Jevon Vella, who were engaged on a full- time basis for four years by MEPA in 2011. The idea of having full time boards was to avoid potential con- flicts of interest faced by practis- ing architects and lawyers when dealing with cases involving not only current clients but also past and potential clients. The term of the old board has now expired and MEPA's highest decision making organ is now composed entirely of part timers. Under the new system, the mem- bers are being appointed on a part-time basis and will be able to continue exercising their profes- sions. However, they are expected to abstain from any case in which they may have a conflict of interest, which they will have to declare. Micallef Stafrace and Spiteri are not the first party candidates to be appointed on the appeal board – in 2006 Ian Spiteri Bailey, a lawyer and PN candidate for the European elections, was also appointed to the board. But Spiteri is the first party representative in office to serve on the board, albeit on an ad hoc ba- sis. The Zonqor campus will be built over 18,000 square metres of ODZ land Chamber wants Sadeen to 'neutralise' green cost of Zonqor campus Architect Roderick Spiteri, former mayor of Paola Unnamed man held over visa squabble CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 The man, apparently travelling with a visa issued by the self-declared Tripoli government, is under ar- rest in an area controlled by the internationally recognised gov- ernment of Tobruk. Visas issued by the Libyan em- bassy in Ta' Xbiex, which rep- resents the government in To- bruk, are not recognised by the Islamist backed administration in Tripoli while the internation- ally recognized government in Tobruk does not recognise visas issued by Tripoli 's embassy in Balzan. The international airport in the eastern city of Labraq is one of the few airports still op- erating in Libya, after both the Tripoli and Benghazi facilities were badly damaged during the clashes which have plagued the North African country since the 2011 revolution in which former dictator Muammar Gaddafi was ousted and killed.