Tuminvest eyes 5,000sq.m green lung in Zebbug for new dwellings

The Tuminvest company and developer Vincent Borg are proposing residential development on a 4,750 sq.m site at Hal Mula in Zebbug, which presently serves as a green lung in the densely populated village. 

Mayor Malcolm Paul Galea told MaltaToday the council will discuss the matter in an emergency meeting on Monday. He made it clear that the council will be opposing any change to the zoning of the area as laid out in the local plan. 

“People living in this area have a right for community facilities and we cannot afford to lose a green lung. Nothing has changed since 2006 to justify a change in local plans approved by parliament,” Galea said. 

Independent councillor Steve Zammit Lupi, who called for the emergency meeting on Monday, described the request for change in zoning as “one aimed at accommodating private interests at the expense of the community... Building the last remaining open space in Hal Mula is uncalled for.” 

The area is currently zoned by the 2006 local plan as one which can only be developed for community facilities, NGO facilities or gardens.  

But in the zoning application, the developers want to introduce residential development among the uses allowed in the area. The plans identify a large portion of the site (2,179 sq.m) for new dwellings along Triq Michael Debono, and facing existing dwellings along Triq Mamo. 

The plans, submitted by former PA planning commission member Mariello Spiteri, also foresee a pedestrianized open space on 1,858sq.m with a square in the middle of the site and a smaller 1,061sq.m for “community facilities.” 

But the Zebbug mayor is unfazed by these commitments to include open spaces and community facilities, describing this tactic as deceptive. “The moment we accept the principle that residential development can be allowed in an area where it is not allowed in the local plan we would be condemning the whole area to the future tweaking of plans and height revisions.”  

The Lands Authority confirmed to MaltaToday that the land is entirely owned by private owners and never belonged to the State. The current application was presented by Vincent Borg but the submitted plans list Tuminvest as the developer. MaltaToday is informed that a promise-of-sale agreement has been signed between a consortium which includes Vincent Borg and Tuminvest and the private landowners. 

The first plans were submitted to the Planning Authority on 9 December but the application was not available to the public until this week as it was still listed as incomplete. 

The development of the site would contrast with recent declarations by Robert Abela and ministers like Aaron Farrugia in favour of protecting and enhancing open spaces serving as green lungs in urban residential areas.