Lidl controversy as Gozo supermarket set for approval

A case officer report is advising The Malta Environment and Planning Authority to approve Lidl's first  supermarket in Gozo, located in St Leonard Street, Xewkija: at the edge of the Xewkija industrial estate.

The development is earmarked on a 4,813m2 large vacant plot of land at the back of an existing petrol station which fronts on Mgarr Road in Xewkija, Gozo.

Environmentalists had objected to the development because 30% of the site (1,075m2) lies outside the development zones.

But the case officer report states that the supermarket and the car park are now entirely located within development zones.

In the original application most of the supermarket's parking area was located outside the limits to development. 

In view of this, MEPA informed Lidl that the project was "unacceptable in principle".

But following various discussions with Lidl, fresh designs were submitted showing all the structures and parking areas within the limit of development. 

This was deemed acceptable in principle by MEPA.

The supermarket structure will include two overlying levels of parking, with the first floor level catering for 52 parking spaces and the roof of the structure, catering for another 58 car parking spaces.

The remaining area in front and on the side of the supermarket structure - which falls within the development zone boundaries - is to be used as an external parking area providing 24 car parking spaces.

The height of the supermarket structure is set at two floors, with a maximum height of 12 meters.

The site of the proposed supermarket included a number of illegalities consisting of "derelict vehicles and other scrap" and an illegal access road located on private land.

The applicant was informed that unless these illegalities were removed, the application could not be processed with a positive recommendation.

The illegalities were only removed in February 2012, and the enforcement case was closed.

MEPA's policy guidance on retail outlets states that supermarkets should be preferably located in or on the edge of town centres, which is not the case in this application.

Although the policy states that all large supermarkets should be subject to a Retail Impact Assessment. But no such assessment was conducted because the supermarket was deemed not to have a large-scale impact on the Victoria Town Centre.

MEPA has already issued permits for Lidl supermarkets in San Gwann, Santa Venera, Safi, Luqa  and Ghaxaq.

The Safi and Luqa supermarkets were located ODZ and MEPA Auditor Joe Falzon deemed the two permits in question irregular.

While processing the application for Gozo's first Lidl supermarket, MEPA received a number of objections from environmental NGOs including Nature Trust, Malta Organic Agriculture Movement, The Rambler's Association, 'Flimkien Ghall-Ambjent Ahjar' and 'Din l-Art Helwa'. But MEPA also received four letters from Gozitans urging MEPA to approve the development. 

These reminded MEPA of  "the hardships that Gozitans have to endure when they regularly have to cross to the mainland to shop at Lidl, knowing of the discounted prices they normally offer."