Planning Board turns down Mark Gaffarena’s application for 34 warehouses

The Planning Board within the Planning Authority has refused permission to a planning application for the construction of 34 warehouses at ‘Tal-Ponta’, limits of Kirkop.

Transport Malta had vetoed the proposal by Mark Gaffarena back in 2014, because according to government policy, the area is to be retained for aviation-related development.

“This area should be safeguarded against incompatible proposals,” Transport Malta’s official David Sutton wrote in an objection presented to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority.

In March, the then-MEPA exempted Gaffarena from having to conduct an environment impact assessment on the development of the warehouses, proposed to be developed on 2,887 square metres of ODZ land.

MEPA had justified the exemption because a project development statement presented by the developers a month prior had provided sufficient information on the impact of the project.

The project was also deemed not to have any significant environmental effect. The exemption stated, however, that the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage was to be asked to monitor any works on the site due to the possibility of archaeological remains.

In August 2004, MEPA had refused an application presented by Gaffarena to build 13 warehouses in the same area, deeming that it would be in breach of the Structure Plan, which does not permit urban development outside existing and committed built-up areas.

“It is apparent that there are no reasons from a planning point of view why the proposed development cannot be located in an area designated for industrial development,” the case officer recommending a refusal of the development said.

The proposal was also deemed to result in an unacceptable impact on the road network in the area.