Update | PA denies withholding Town Square Development documents

The Planning Authority (PA) categorically denied that it had concealed any documents related to the proposed Town Square Development as was claimed by the Sliema local council.

The PA acknowledged, however, that not all relevant documents were in digital format since the application in question had been filed prior to 2007.

“It is normal practice for Periti and interested parties to request to view planning applications and relevant documents at the front desk of the Authority,” it said in a statement.

As to the absence of the proposed Fort Cambridge hotel project from the environment impact statement for Town Square, the PA said EIA regulations – endorsed by the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) – stipulated that only those projects that were approved could be considered to form part of the studies.

“The proposed Fort Cambridge Hotel project has not yet been validated by the authority and although studies are being carried out, the formal planning process have not yet commenced.” 

The PA also confirmed that, through the dynamic parking model presented by the appointed traffic consultants, the proposed Town Square project would have a surplus of approximately 100 car parking spaces on site.

“The scheme provided the full parking requirement for the residential component of the project,” it said. “Additionally, the supposition that ‘there has been a decrease in traffic during the peak hours to/from the Tigne Peninsula’ is a conclusion resulting from traffic counts carried out by the appointed traffic consultants.”

The Sliema local council had earlier rubbished claims that traffic in Sliema was on the decrease, arguing that such statements were “unrealistic and highly irresponsible”.

The comments were made in a traffic study commissioned by the proponents of a 38-storey tower in Sliema.

The unpublished study claims that there has been an "overall decrease in traffic during peak hours to and from the Tigné peninsula", since 2005 when the first studies for the project were carried out. 

The assertion based on a "traffic count carried out in tower road and the strand" is found in an unpublished study and quoted in correspondence between the developers and the Authority.

The reduction in traffic in the past decade would minimise the impact of the extra 4,241 cars generated by the project in terms of air pollution and congestion, they said.

But the Sliema local council, in its submissions ahead of the planned board meeting this Thursday, described such claims as being "totally unrealistic and irresponsible".

The council also criticised the case officer report recommending the approval of the 38 storey tower for having "failed to access any of the traffic related issues." 

The Sliema council has reprimanded the Planning Authority for lack of transparency after it failed to publish the Assessment of Simplified Traffic Statement, dated October 2015, which contains this information.

The council also reminded the Planning Authority of a pending application for a 40-storey tower hotel which will create an extra 1,527 car trips.

Together, the two projects will result in an increase of 5,768 daily car trips on the one lane road of the Qui-Si-Sana sea front. 

The case officer report proposes a number of changes which include the shifting of a bus stop and the removal of 10 parking spaces to facilitate the traffic flow. But these changes are described as cosmetic by the council which claims that the present road infrastructure will not be able to handle the influx of traffic created by the project.

The case officer report also reveals that the project will create a shortfall of 234 parking spaces in Sliema.

The council also expressed its concern on the impact the project will have on drainage system.  The case officer reveals that although the Water Services Corporation was consulted on 20 July 2015, no reply was received from this entity.

The case officer simply says that the no reply from the WSC amounts to a "no objection."

"It is unacceptable that on this crucial issue, the WSC, the authority responsible for drainage infrastructure, has not given any assessment. "

The council warned that should the drainage infrastructure not cope, "this will spell environmental and economic disaster" for the country.