Coast Road: expropriated land earmarked for petrol station

Motorists using traffic-heavy Triq is-Salini which is presently being widened at Kennedy Grove, will find a convenient place where to fill up, if a planning application is allowed to build a petrol station.

The application has been filed by Luqa Developments Ltd, which wants to build the fuel station overlooking the Salini saltpans.

But part of the land on which it is proposed to build the petrol station, was expropriated by the government, just two weeks after the application was filed.

One of the directors of the company is Piju Camilleri – a close aide of the late, notorious former Labour minister Lorry Sant. Two other directors are Camilleri’s sons Arvin and Ludwig.

The notice for the expropriation of 2,479 square metres of land in Triq is-Salini for “a public purpose” was published in the Government Gazette on 26 March 2014, under authority of President George Abela. The notice shows that the owners of the land, which includes part of the land earmarked for the proposed petrol station, were offered €57,000 as compensation following an architect’s valuation.

It was Transport Malta which on 8 April 2013 had requested the expropriation of this land to enable it to widen of the coast road, a spokesperson for parliamentary secretary Michael Falzon, who is responsible for government property, told MaltaToday.

But so far no compensation has yet been paid as “none of the owners of the land in question have submitted proof of their title over the property.” The government spokesperson insisted that no compensation can be given unless proof of ownership is submitted.

But in the application submitted to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority on 12 March 2014, Luqa Developments declared it was the sole owner of 2,736 square metres of land along Triq is-Salini. And the site plan submitted to MEPA, includes a part of the same land expropriated by government. 

The company’s application envisages the development of a petrol station, a shop and four car washes set on what is at present pristine ODZ (outside development zones) site.

Only the part of the site fronting the road will be impacted by the road widening, and plans submitted to the MEPA do not envision any development on the part which has been expropriated.

The application states that the company wants to relocate an existing petrol station from Valley Road, Msida, to Triq is-Salini.

The government is presently drafting a new policy to regulate the development of petrol stations on ODZ land. The draft policy states that relocated petrol stations may be sited outside development zones, although environmentally sensitive areas are excluded.

Planning ‘gains’

Luqa Developments has been on the receiving end of two other policy changes by the current government.

MEPA is presently considering waiving a condition banning the construction of penthouses on land that the company owns in Hal-Ghaxaq. The land was controversially included in development boundaries by the Nationalist government in 2006, on condition that no penthouses or washrooms would be allowed on the roofs of the new residences.

Although a new MEPA policy on height limits is yet to be approved, a screening application to construct number of penthouses was presented on 16 April, 2014.

Camilleri has also protested vehemently against a new policy proposed by the present government banning the development of new ODZ cemeteries, via his architect Charles Buhagiar – a Labour MP who happens to be chairman of the Building Industry Consultative Council.

Camilleri presented an application for the development of a new cemetery in Tal-Irmiedi, between Attard and Rabat.

As works manager with the late Lorry Sant in the 1980s, Camilleri was an influential figure within the now defunct Planning Areas Permits Board, the body that issued building permits. According to businessman Joe Borg’s testimony before the Permanent Commission against Corruption, Camilleri would, with Sant’s blessing, request plots and money in return for granting building permits to individual contractors.