Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/563633
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 30 AUGUST 2015 News 7 JAMES DEBONO VEHICLES importer Easysell has applied to construct a petrol sta- tion outside development zones, in an area known as Tal-Qarbuni in Burmarrad. The development, set to include a service station, a car wash, an of- fice and a retail shop is being pro- posed along Triq Burmarrad in St Paul's Bay, and comes in the wake of a new policy regulating the de- velopment of petrol stations. While only existing petrol sta- tions can be relocated to ODZ ar- eas, brand new petrol stations can be located "opposite or adjacent" to "areas of containment" outside development zones. The new policy does not impose any limit on the size of petrol sta- tions in such areas. The proposed development is lo- cated within such an area. These so-called areas of contain- ment are ODZ areas where low- level industrial activity or storage is allowed. Areas of containment are meant to create a transition between in- dustrial or tourism areas, and rural areas: in Malta there are 33 such ODZ sites designated as areas of containment. They include parts of Bahar ic-Caghaq, Burmarrad, the Hal Mann site in Lija, various parts of Mdina Road, St Leonard Street in Zabbar, Tal-Balal in San Gwann and part of Hal-Farrug road. Over the years MEPA refused three applications to construct a boundary wall around the Tal- Qarbuni site, as this was not deemed to be essential for agricul- tural purposes. An application presented by Easysell's Anthony Fenech to en- close the car wash area with a wall was also refused in 1995. The de- cision was confirmed by the ap- peals board in 2000. The proposed development consisted in the placing on the site of a 'car wash machine' and a 'mobile office' on the abandoned field. In its decision, the Appeals Board had noted that the site had been excavated without the necessary permission, and that the excavat- ed material was left lying on the site, which consequently started being used for illegal dumping. "The appellant should in fact be made to remedy the situation by rehabilitating the site, reinstating soil cover and a rubble boundary wall of a suitable height, thereby restoring the rural character of the site," the board said. Similar applications were re- fused in 1999 and 2002. The site of the proposed petrol station is now part of a rural con- servation area but is also adjacent to a storage area. So whe whole site, including the part earmarked for the petrol sta- tion, was designated as an "area of containment" in the 2006 local plan. And an enforcement against the illegal construction of a wall has been pending since 1997. TIM DIACONO THREE kestrel chicks have been bred in Gozo and left their nest earlier this month, in the first known breeding of the raptor spe- cies in four years. Veteran ornithologist Raymond Galea told MaltaToday that the kestrel would breed more fre- quently in the Maltese Islands were it not a target for illegal hunters. "The kestrel is not a rare species of bird and often breeds in other Mediterranean countries," Galea said. "It would also breed in the Maltese islands, but unfortunately they're still hunted illegally, even in the summer." A local resident who had stum- bled upon the nest contacted BirdLife Malta, whose ornitholo- gists checked and confirmed that the kestrels were in fact breeding. Their nest was watched over, but BirdLife chose not to publicise the successful breeding until after the chicks learned to fly and left the nest, so as not to endanger them. "We are very happy to confirm that common kestrels have raised chicks in Gozo this summer, the first time in four years," BirdLife conservation manager Nicholas Barbara said in a statement. "The sporadic attempts for common kestrels to breed in Malta over the past years show that there is hope for this bird of prey to establish it- self once again, if not targeted by illegal hunting. We hope that this pair and their young will be able to return and breed in peace for years to come." Kestrels are small birds of prey with long wings and a long tail, most easily recognised when they are hovering in mid-air, searching for food below. They are one of the most common birds of prey seen on migration in September and October, and again in spring, with a few opting to stay in Malta dur- ing the winter months. Although historical records in- dicate that they were once more common in Malta and Gozo, their numbers have dwindled over the years. BirdLife largely attributed this decline to illegal hunting. "After an absence of 15 years, a pair returned to breed again in 2009 when spring hunting was banned," Barbara said. "They re- turned again for the following two years until illegal hunting saw them disappear again." Car importers want ODZ petrol station 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 Kestrels found breeding for first time in four years A kestrel, sharp eyes focused on the ground below, searching for food