FAA calls on MEPA to block ‘ugly’ San Gwann development

On the eve of a Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) decision on the development of 62 new apartments in San Gwann, environmentalist NGO Flimkien ghal-Ambjent Ahjar (FAA) questioned the wisdom of such a project when Malta is home to 72,000 empty dwellings.

Tomorrow, MEPA will be deciding the application to build a five-storey project of 62 flats and 105 car spaces at the busy junction between Sliema Road and B'Kara Road in San Gwann which FAA said will destroy one of the last areas that retain the character of the old village of San Gwann.

"FAA appreciates the MEPA Board's balanced appraisal, ordering further investigations and commenting on the poor aesthetics of this building, and we hope that in examining the new design proposal the Board will consider its overall effect on the streetscape. For decades the 'uglification' of Malta has been lamented.  Are we to permit yet more ugly development to continue to destroy our old areas?" the NGO asked.

Furthermore, FAA underlined the fact that over-development has "social, environmental and economic costs, in increasing densities, stifling communities, adding to the problem of asthma, cancer and heart disease, undermining tourism, increasing flooding, over-extending services of water, electricity, drains and roads paid by the taxpayer and weakening our banking stability. With 72,000 empty properties already weighing on us, is this what we want for our country?"

FAA explained that the San Gwann junction is jammed for most of the day due to four schools in the vicinity, traffic to Mater Dei Hospital and the Industrial Estate.

Quoting Transport Malta's comments on the development, FAA said that the transport authority holds that it cannot accept additional development in the area, particularly as there is no obvious design solution available.

"Yet following communication with the developer and a report produced by the developer, the former chairman of Transport Malta intervened to reverse TM's unequivocal refusal," FAA said.  

The NGO said it was concerned that this report did not address the issue of Zbibu Lane, "a narrow dead-end lane which cannot cope with the additional traffic to be generated by this 62-apartment complex. Allowing this complex to be built on the very turning circle that permits cars to exit this street would be highly irresponsible, given that a professional ambulance driver has testified that this would pose a danger to residents when ambulances and fire engines would not be able to reach and turn round in the lane."

The handling of the heritage issue is also questionable, FAA said, adding that after MEPA's Directorate had recommended that the 300 year-old farmhouse on site must be retained, it then recommended shifting it 50 metres west and subsequently decided to demolish the farmhouse because it jars with the new development.

"Yet an old farmhouse of the same period will flank the development on the other side!" FAA exclaimed.

In addition to some fine examples of cart ruts as well as a wartime shelter, the site has two large wells, full of fresh water, the NGO noted, adding that "instead of creating a heritage park full of trees fed by the wells, these wells will be destroyed with no knowledge of the source of the water or its impact on the proposed development.  So while Government builds a huge reservoir nearby, and gives grants for domestic wells, existing reservoirs will be destroyed."

It also pointed out that while the environment minister was harping on the importance of trees and clean air, the MEPA Major Projects Unit was, "as usual, backing this five-storey project in an area of 2/3-storey houses that will be deprived of light and air.  Instead of providing an objective assessment of the case, the Case Officer strongly favoured the development, with no reference to the pollution that an additional 100 cars in this street will create.  No mention was made of the increased traffic jam delay for emergency ambulances that use this route to reach Mater Dei hospital."