St Albert Għaxaq plans downscaled, but agricultural impact remains

The Dominican order has significantly reduced the land take-up for a new school they are proposing on agricultural land at Dawret Ħal-Għaxaq.

The school will replace the current college in Valletta as foreseen in the local plans approved in 2006.

The project has been downscaled from an initial proposal submitted four years ago, which was shot down by the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA), prompting the revision.

The new plans propose a reduction in total land take-up from 35,875sq.m as outlined in 2020, to 26,495sq.m – a 26% decrease.

The major change in the new proposal is the relocation of the outdoor sports pitch and running track, now moved to the rooftop of three accommodation blocks, while a smaller pitch has been relocated along the southern boundary, reducing some 9,380sq.m. of land take-up. The latest plans will preserve 67% of some 58 protected trees in the area.

Excluding a 4,255sq.m horticultural area and football pitch, the school campus was reduced by 18% to 23,000sq.m. The actual built-up footprint was redcued by 26% to 16,485sq.m, while the school buildings will also be reduced by 17% to 4,000sq.m.

However, a thorough Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) prepared by ADI consultants concludes the impact of this reduced proposal on the loss of agricultural land will still be one of major significance. The land itself is currently of low agricultural value, but ADI said productivity could still be enhanced with improved irrigation.

The EIA warns that the revised project will still affect groundwater recharge, resulting in the “soil sealing” of approximately 16,485sq.m of land, impacting surface water flows across the site and increase run-off along Dawret Ħal-Għaxaq. To mitigate this impact, the school plans to use bioretention swales that collect and treat run-off from roads and drop-off areas.

The EIA also says the development effectively extends the Ħal-Għaxaq development zone. Although low-lying, the loss of mature vegetation, rubble walls, and rural structures will lead to a less seamless transition between the urban and rural areas. Left undeveloped however, the site “the rural character of the site would be retained”, and if used for agriculture, the natural habitat within the site “would remain and flourish”.

24-year saga

The Dominican Order had already withdrawn another application which involved the take-up of 72,000 sq.m of land outside development zones in 2019 before presenting an application with a reduced footprint the year after.

The application was recently withdrawn by the Planning Authority itself after requirements set four years prior remained unmet.

The Dominicans intend for the Għaxaq college to serve as a spacious alternative to Valletta’s St Albert College, which, being over 70 years old, lacks sufficient space for modern amenities.

Back when it was decided to relocate in 2000, the PA had been approached by the school to identify “a suitable site in the south of Malta”. Subsequently the PA’s site selection exercise identified 12 potential sites, all in the south of Malta, and which included the present ‘scheme’ site and adjoining lands. It was the PA which directed the applicant to the land in Għaxaq, as “the preferred option for relocation of the school.”