Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/979340
maltatoday WEDNESDAY 9 MAY 2018 4 JAMES DEBONO THE Planning Authority is set to refuse two applications for the development of ODZ petrol stations in Zebbug and Iklin on the same day that its board will be taking a decision on another ODZ petrol station proposed in Luqa which is still being rec- ommended for approval. The decision on all three pet- rol stations will be taken on May 17 on the basis of the ex- isting policy regulating ODZ petrol stations. The previous meeting on the Luqa application was obstruct- ed by a direct action by Movi- ment Graffitti which had called on the PA to stop approving new petrol stations until the existing policy is changed. Following the interruption, the meeting continued in an- other hall but the vote resulted in a tie with chairman Vince Cassar – who holds the casting vote – voting against. All three petrol stations will be assessed according to the 2014 policy which permits pet- rol stations opposite industrial areas as is the case with both the Zebbug and Luqa applica- tions. But the Zebbug petrol station is in breach of an article of the existing policy banning new petrol stations which are less than 500 metres from an exist- ing petrol pump. The proposed petrol station is located 420 metres from an existing fuel, in the same direc- tion of Qormi. The petrol station is being proposed on former agricultur- al land on Mdina road – the ar- terial road linking Qormi and Zebbug, on a corner defined by Triq l-Imdina and Triq Wied is-Sewda. Curiously the application is being set for refusal before the completion of an Environment Impact Assessment. The Environment and Resources Authority had asked the developers to present a Project Development Statement, a document on the basis of which the authority decides whether an EIA is required. On 23 April ERA had in- formed the PA's Executive Charirman Johann Buttigieg that the application was still being "screened" by ERA to determine whether it required an EIA. ERA had previously objected to the application on environmental grounds. All previous applications were assessed by the PA follow- ing the completion of an EIA. But in this case the directorate is arguing that these studies would only be required if the recommendation of the Plan- ning Directorate to refuse the application is overturned by the board. "The proposed site is still not considered acceptable in prin- ciple for a fuel station and as such any detailed assessment as regards design and visual amenity is considered super- fluous at this stage", the case officer concludes. The Iklin petrol station pro- posed in Triq tal-Balal is also set for refusal because the site under consideration is less than 500 metres from an exist- ing service station. The proposed petrol station is located 350 metres from an existing fuel station, which although not situated in the same direction of traffic, still serves the flow of traffic mov- ing towards Naxxar. This application is being as- sessed following the comple- tion of an Environment Impact assessment. In this way the PA is set to refuse two applications for ODZ petrol stations which are in breach of existing poli- cies, minutes before taking a decision on the Luqa petrol station which largely con- forms to the existing policy. The decision on the Luqa petrol station due on 5 April had to be postponed after the Planning Authority board was split right down the middle following the meeting which had to be moved to another hall since it was interrupted by protesters. Subsequently the PA intro- duced security checks which saw security staff checking the bags of members of the public and the media attend- ing a meeting on the Fortina development in Sliema. The Graffitti activists had insisted that no decision should be taken on pending applications until the comple- tion of a review of the policy regulating the development of petrol stations ordered by the Environment Ministry Jose Herrera. The Environment and Re- sources Authority is now recommending new policy guidelines which effectively exclude the development of new or relocated petrol sta- tions on ODZ land. ERA is also advocating a 2000sq.m limit on new petrol stations and the removal of a loophole permitting new pet- rol stations opposite or adja- cent to industrial areas. The 3000sq.m petrol station at Luqa is located on agricul- tural land opposite an indus- trial area and is therefore in breach of the proposed guide- lines. This effectively means that the petrol station proposed in Luqa would be in breach of policy if the new policy is ap- proved before 17 May. Yet the government has al- ready made it clear that the new rules will not apply to the 10 pending planning applica- tions. Cassar's vote may be crucial In the last sitting discussing the Luqa petrol station five board members – chairman Vince Cassar, PN representa- tive Marthese Portelli, NGO representative Annick Bonello, environment agency head Vic- tor Axiak and Timothy Gam- bin – voted against the devel- opment. Five other board members, in- cluding government represent- ative Clayton Bartolo, voted in favour. After taking legal advice, a decision was taken to postpone the final decision to another day. If the vote was taken on that day, the chairman would have had a final say. This is be- cause the chairman has a cast- ing vote in the case of a tie. The fate of the application could well be determined by PA board chairman Vince Cassar. Cassar had justified his vote saying that Graffitti's allega- tion that board members were in cahoots with developers was reason enough for him to vote against the project. This is not considered to be a legitimate planning reason and could be challenged if developers ap- pealed the case. Board decisions have to be taken in public but a clause in the law allows the board members to deliberate in pri- vate. The clause was last used in 2016 when the PA was consid- ering an ODZ petrol station in Maghtab. The vote was still held in public. The application was turned down only to be ap- proved in January after the PA's Review tribunal had ordered the board to reconsider its de- cision. News Two petrol stations set for refusal, another for approval on same day Hospice Malta would like to notify its members that the Annual General Meeting will be held on Monday 21st May 2018 at 6.00pm at Attard Parish Centre, Triq il-Kbira, Attard. All members are invited to attend. Photomontage shows the proposed petrol station in Luqa