Company presents plans to develop Mellieħa green lung

A zoning application has been presented to develop 70% of a 5,261sq.m plot of land in Mellieħa, which was sold to private developers by the government following the issuance of a tender in February.

The application also foresees unspecified amendments to a policy included in the North West Local Plan to regulate development on this land. Neither does the application include any details on the height of the proposed development.

The zoning application is meant to establish the parameters for development before a full development application is submitted.

The land was sold for a perpetual revisable emphyteusis of just €380,000 per year and can be redeemed after 15 years. The zoning application was presented by Paul Attard on behalf of T & S Property Holdings Limited, a company whose directors are Paul Attard and Paul Vella. The tender included a clause giving the company, which owns a small portion of the plot, a right of first refusal.

The application foresees built-up development over an area of 3,465sq.m of land, a private open space of 193sq.m, and a public open space subdivided into three separate areas over 1,603sq.m of land.

Development in the area is currently regulated by a local plan policy that stipulates that 30% of the site is to remain as public open space and must be constructed as an "integrated" and "landscaped public space." The policy also sets a 500sq.m limit on retail development and limits the height of the buildings to three floors.

The area has been part of the development zone since 1988 and was zoned for residential development in the local plan in 2006. However, the area is considered a green lung by residents living in the area.

Moreover, according to leading botanist Jeffrey Sciberras, the site hosts at least three plants found only in Malta and two indigenous species, which means they were present on the islands before humans arrived here.

The land on Triq is-Sagħtar and Triq il-Miġbha was awarded to the company on a perpetual revisable emphyteusis. The company will be able to redeem this emphyteusis within the first 15 years after a revision according to the rate of inflation.

Nationalist MP Ivan Castillo had called out the "hypocrisy" of selling pristine land owned by the government for development at the same time when the government was considering buying private land for urban greening.