Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/635436
4 DIN l-Art Helwa has expressed concern at the renewed proposal to build 15 villas outside the devel- opment zones, on the plateau near Mgarr ix-Xini at Ta' Cenc in Gozo. "This proposal is completely un- acceptable and should be thrown out by the Planning Authority. It goes directly against all current planning policies which relate to this area," Din l-Art Helwa said. "The Local Plan limits develop- ment on the plateau near Mgarr ix-Xini to the existing buildings and does not allow further de- velopment in this area. This was specifically clarified in a letter to the MEPA Board in 2006, by then government minister George Pul- licino who had approved the Local Plans. This letter was endorsed by then prime minister Lawrence Gonzi." The Rural Policy and Design Guidance, approved by Labour in 2014, does not contemplate the de- velopment of new residences out- side the development zones. And the new Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development (SPED) of 2015, which has now re- placed the Structure Plan, states that the location of new residences should be guided within urban ar- eas, and that rural areas must not be "exploited by uses which are not legitimate or necessary". "The government has already ignored its own SPED with the transfer of a large portion of land at Zonqor at Marsaskala for the development of an educational institute, on land identified by the Planning Authority against its own policies. Granting permission to build private villas in an ODZ area near Mgarr ix-Xini at Ta' Cenc, would continue the relentless de- struction of the countryside," Din l-Art Helwa said. "The SPED clearly states that further land take-up in rural areas should be considered as a last re- sort and only 'where it is essential for the achievement of sustainable development'. There is absolutely nothing sustainable about build- ing more ODZ villas on the Ta' Cenc peninsula." In 2006 a petition raised by Din l-Art Helwa against proposed de- velopment at Ta' Cenc was signed by 10,000 persons and tabled in Parliament by two MPs, one from the government side and one from the Opposition, both of whom also signed the petition. maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 3 FEBRUARY 2016 News University's most central car park to be reserved for car poolers TIM DIACONO THE university students' council (KSU) has launched a novel pilot project to incentivise car pooling on campus, reserving for poolers the most central car park on cam- pus. The car park – adjacent to the university quadrangle – can take up a maximum of 35 cars. Securi- ty personnel will now be stationed outside it between 7am and 1pm to check that each car contains a driver, at least two passengers, and two university parking permits. One of the permits must belong to the driver and the other to one of the passengers who would have forfeited his or her car park space on campus. The project will commence as from today and will last for two months, after which KSU will conduct a study to determine whether the initiative should be extended. Students can offer or ask for lifts using the KSU's car pooling appli- cation, accessible on their website. KSU and the University's Green Travel Committee have also been in contact with the creators of 'Bumalift' – a Maltese car pool- ing mobile platform – as they seek to extend their car pooling app across campus. "We are hopeful that this ini- tiative will encourage students to car pool to university, the reward being a prominent car park area with guaranteed parking," KSU said in a statement. "Should this project be a success, the possibil- ity of moving to a bigger car park reserved for car poolers is not ex- cluded. "We believe that the benefits of car pooling are not restricted to this assigned car park area, but includes the possibility of mak- ing new friends, sharing petrol expenses and reducing traffic and parking problems. We invite all students to start being aware of the implications of travelling by personal vehicle and help us instil a greener mentality within our so- ciety." Wetlands in Malta – rare but indispensable WETLANDS in Malta only cov- er 0.1% of the territory but they play a vital role in safeguarding the country's biodiversity. Marking World Wetlands Day, BirdLife underlined the impor- tance of safeguarding the wet- lands around the globe, includ- ing the ones in Malta, which has Ghadira, Salini, Simar, Marsas- kala, Marsaxlokk and Comino. 'Wetlands for our Future: Sustainable Livelihoods' is the theme for this year aimed at demonstrating the vital role of wetlands for the future of hu- manity and specifically their relevance to achieving the new Sustainable Development Goals. World Wetlands Day is cele- brated every year on 2 February. This day marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February, 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Since 1997, the Ramsar Secre- tariat provides outreach mate- rials to help raise public aware- ness about the importance and value of wetlands. Besides con- taining a wealth of f lora and fauna, the Ghadira and Simar wetlands are important for mi- gratory birds that stop to rest there while on migration. Malta is one of the three main migra- tory routes that wild birds use while travelling between Eu- rope and Africa. The Ghadira and Simar na- ture reserves were designated as wetlands of international importance in 1988 and 1996 respectively and the United Na- tions declared 2010 as the Year of Biodiversity. Ta' Cenc development is threat to countryside – Din l-Art Helwa The Rural Policy and Design Guidance, approved by Labour in 2014, does not contemplate the development of new residences outside the development zones