Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/818637
3 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 3 MAY 2017 News PA approves two dwellings and pool in Wied Ghomor valley JAMES DEBONO A day after the general election was announced, the PA board issued two controversial ODZ permits in valleys in St Julian's and Qormi. Two brand new dwellings have been approved in the Wied Ghomor valley in St Ju- lian's instead of two dilapidated dwellings, while a cafeteria and a brand new dwelling were ap- proved in Qormi. The dwellings were approved after sufficient proof of previ- ous residence was presented in the form of electoral registers dated 1981, 1982 and 1985, a contract dated 1974 and a re- cent promise of sale. The new permit was made possible by the rural policy ap- proved in 2014, which allows the PA to approve new dwell- ings instead of the ruins of old buildings for which a proof of previous residence has been presented. The two dwellings will occupy a footprint of 210 square me- tres. Both dwellings will have a swimming pool, a deck and a paved area. On 28 March, the Environ- ment and Planning Commis- sion had deemed the proposed development of the two dwell- ings within the valley as incom- patible with the rural policy but yesterday the same board ac- cepted the new development af- ter one of the swimming pools was moved closer to the dwell- ing. The building lies at the begin- ning of the valley system of Ta' Wied il-Kbir, Ta' Wied Ghomor and Misrah Lewza and forms part of a Level 4 Buffer Zone to protect the scheduled Area of Ecological Importance of Wied Ghomor. The proposal includes paved areas, a swimming pool, deck- ing and a concrete pathway. The Environment and Re- sources Authority objected to the proposal, insisting that it would contribute to unneces- sary land take-up in the ODZ. "Such developments may re- sult in future pressures for similar developments within this particular area and are not acceptable within the site con- text". Moreover the ERA claimed that the development under- mines the rural characteristics of the area through the intro- duction of urban type develop- ment without due consideration to the site's surroundings. "Approval of the application may also create an undesirable precedent for similar future proposals within the area and other ODZ land which cumu- latively would result in further uptake of undeveloped land for unjustified uses and conse- quential impacts on landscape and the visual amenity of rural areas". PA approves ODZ cafeteria in Qormi The Planning Authority has ignored the recommendation of its own case officer and the advice of the Environment and Resources Authority to issue a permit for a new dwelling and a 131 sq.m cafeteria outside development zones in Wied il-Kbir in Qormi. The Agricul- tural Advisory Committee ob- jected to the proposal because no evidence was submitted that a farming enterprise exists on this site and that the visitor's attraction is not directly relat- ed to agriculture or rural con- s e r v a t i o n /a p p r e c i a t i o n / l o c a l crafts. In addition the proposed cafeteria is not "essential ". The permit issued to Ian A. Fitzpatrick envisions the change of use of a presently uninhabited farmhouse and watermill into a visitors' attrac- tion centre and cafeteria. Apart from this the permit envisions the construction of a "new resi- dential unit" in place of other existing structures that are lat- er additions and are proposed for demolition. The ERA expressed its con- cern about the development of a cafeteria and a new dwelling in the ODZ. "The intensification of the building, in particular through committing part of the area with commercial development together with the introduction of another f loor is not favour- ably considered ". The mill room is being re- tained, in order to convert it into a visitor attraction, which will be accompanied by an an- cillary Class 4C cafeteria. The latter will comprise an area of 131 sq.m. The residential unit will be built on two storeys having a gross f loor area of 260sq.m. A gate is being proposed between the visitor attraction and the residential unit. This will pro- pose access to the site in ques- tion, In March in view of the refus- al recommended by the Plan- ning Directorate the Environ- ment and Planning commission had called on the architect to submit fresh drawings to re- move the cafeteria and include the dwelling in the f loor space of the existing structure. But subsequently no new drawings were submitted show- ing the removal of the cafeteria and to include the dwelling in the f loor space of the existing structure. When approving the permit the PA imposed a new condi- tion obliging the developer to sign a legal deed with the Plan- ning Authority to tie the use of the two structures as "a casa bottega, which cannot be sold or transferred separately". The EPC concluded that the proposal is compliant with the rural policy approved in 2014. The Environment and Resources Authority objected to the developments which will include two pools A cafeteria and a brand new dwelling were approved in Wied il-Kbir, Qormi