Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/969423
12 maltatoday SUNDAY 15 APRIL 2018 News JAMES DEBONO A roman tomb is to be integrated in a massive DIY retail centre in Qormi, the designs of which have been endorsed by the Planning Authority's design advisory com- mittee. Meanwhile a historic farm- house on the site where the DIY complex will be built, just off the main Qormi roundabout, will be relocated on the roof of the retail centre to serve as a 'security resi- dence' complete with kitchen and bedroom for security guards. An underlying Roman tomb will be roofed over and integrated within the new complex in Qormi so that it remains visible to the public as a heritage feature. Lami- nated structural glazing will be in- stalled on the upper floor, directly overlying the historic tomb. The project includes two levels of underground car park for 560 car park spaces and ground park- ing for 70 cars. The retail and DIY centre will be constructed over two levels. The integration of the tomb in the commercial complex was ap- proved by the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage in October 2016. The Superintendence also approved the relocation of parts of the Knights-era farmhouse, which will be restored and reconstruct- ed. The structure has historic val- ue and included an original coat of arms believed to represent Grand Master Manuel Pinto de Fonseca, who was elected to lead the Order of St John in 1741. In January, the Planning Author- ity stopped works after it tran- spired that works were undertak- en before it had even assessed and approved the restoration method statements. The DIY retail complex is being proposed by Centre Park Hold- ings, a company owned by Paul Caruana's Quality Holdings, An- thony Fenech's Tum Invest and V&C Developments, which is owned by Charles and Vincent Borg. The PA's design advisory com- mittee has asked the developers to decide whether the roof will serve as a "green roof" or an "accessible public landscaped garden." The zoning of the land in ques- tion was originally designated for warehousing but was changed to accommodate an old people's home and public community fa- cilities in August 2013, when the site belonged to another owner. Back then, the old corner build- ing on site had to be conserved as a community centre and the area above the development was to be retained as open space. Roman tomb to be integrated in massive Qormi DIY centre YANNICK PACE THE commissioning of a waste- to-energy plant in Maghtab will significantly reduce the amount of municipal solid waste dumped into Malta's landfills but it will not solve Malta's waste management problem. Works on the facility are sched- uled for completion by 2023 and are expected to cost upward of €120 million, Environment min- ister Jose Herrera announced in February. Once completed, the facility will be in a position to process up to 40% of the trash generated by the country. Writing in April's issue of THINK magazine, University of Malta researcher Margaret Camill- eri Fenech calls for a more holistic approach to waste management. Camilleri Fenech was one of a group of researchers who used material flow analysis (MFA) to illustrate where waste generated by Maltese households and busi- nesses, ends up. The analysis breaks down the to- tal estimated waste generated in 2018 – roughly 263,809 tonnes – and how it is processed by the vari- ous waste management facilities available to Malta, including the yet to be built incinerator. According to the analysis, rough- ly 45% of waste should be treated by the incinerator, which is esti- mated to have an annual capac- ity of 120,000 tonnes of material, which it will convert into 36,000 tonnes of ash, which the MFA as- sumes will be transferred to a land- fill. However, speaking on current affairs programme Xtra last week, Herrera insisted that the material could be recycled and used to build roads. Fly ash can be used in the production of concrete or asphalt. Of the remaining waste, the MFA envisages 81,011 tonnes, equivalent to 30% being treated by the Sant'Antnin plant and Malta North waste treatment facilities. The bulk of this waste will still find its way into a landfill but 19,579 of the 81,011 tonnes of waste treated will be recycled. A further 13,060 tonnes will be converted to biogas and water through anaerobic di- gestion. In total, Camilleri Fenech says 38% of the waste generated annu- ally will still need to be landfilled. If current trends persist, she argues, Malta's waste recycling facilities will remain underutilised, allowing more waste to end up in landfills. While Malta remains far from reaching a desirable level of waste recycling, the government has signalled its intent to working to- wards this goal. A spokesperson for the Environ- ment ministry said the proposed beverage container refund scheme – that will see financial incentives offered to people who recycle – will be issued for public consulta- tion in "the coming days" Moreover, he said amendments would also be introduced to litter- ing regulations, including harsher penalties and a "more structured and enforceable approach to waste disposal". The two schemes will be launched in parallel, the spokes- person said. He added that as of September, the organic waste bag will start to be collected nationally. Organic waste currently makes up 50% of material disposed in black waste bags. Furthermore, the spokesperson said that the ministry would be embarking on a circular economy framework through the implemen- tation of the Circular Economy Act. The act will see fines imposed on those who do not recycle their waste. However, the method of enforcement, or timeline, for the implementation of this pledge is as yet unclear. ypace@mediatoday.com.mt Incinerator will not free Malta of need to landfill waste, researcher warns Margaret Camilleri Fenech is a researcher at the University of Malta 38% of the waste generated annually will still need to be landfilled