James Debono
By including an area scheduled for its ecological and archaeological importance in the footprint of the proposed “Tas-Sellum” development in Mellieha, the Tumas Group hasmanaged to acquire a planning permit for 129 apartments, instead of the maximum of 117 envisioned in the North West Local Plan.
The latest extension to the project was approved by the MEPA board two weeks ago.
Although so far MEPA has not issued any building permit on the scheduled zone, the inclusion of the protected area has enlarged the project’s footprint in a way that developers could cram in more apartments.
By applying a policy setting a building ratio of 85 apartments per hectare, MEPA ended up approving 12 more apartments than the 117 foreseen in the local plan, because the area in the site plan was 2,450 square metres larger than that stipulated in the same local plan.
The site map presented by the developers to MEPA, and seen by MaltaToday, includes part of the scheduled area and various third party properties like the De La Salle Brothers’ convent and the boathouses on the seafront.
In this way the developers could claim a footprint of 16,250 square metres even if policy NWML 13 of the North West Local Plan – which regulates development on this particular site – states clearly that the land area of this zone is 13,800 square metres.
Unlike the site plan presented by the developers, the map of the same site depicted in the local plan does not include the area scheduled by MEPA and the various third party properties included in the former.
Using the housing density ratio of 85 dwellings per hectare, the local plan sets a limit of 117 on the number of apartments allowed in this site. This is the same number of apartments approved in the outline permit in 2003.
By presenting a land area of 16,250 square metres instead of the 13,800 – albeit including land not owned by the Tumas Group – the developers not only managed to get approval for 12 more apartments than foreseen in the local plan, but can now apply for a maximum of 138 apartments.
With apartments fetching between €245,000 and €1 million each, the development of 21 more apartments will make a huge financial difference for the Tumas Group.
Ironically, the developers have already been compensated twice: first after part of their land was scheduled in 2000 because of its ecological and archaeological importance.
In an outline permit issued in 2003 the developers were compensated for the scheduling as the site coverage was increased from the 40% allowed by the draft local plan to 45% and on the basis of this the 117 figure was established.
Subsequently in 2006, together with other owners of properties in the scheduled area, the developers were compensated by land in Tal-Bragg, which was included in development zones.
Yet when the latest permit was approved, the scheduled area was still included in plans submitted by the developers at 16,250 square metres.
MaltaToday asked MEPA whether the board was aware that the scheduled site was included in the plans submitted by the developers, and why the scheduled area was not subtracted from the footprint of the project when the latest permit was approved.
No reply has been forthcoming by the time of going to press.
As a result of MEPA’s decision to schedule a part of Tas-Sellum in 2000, Tumas Group were granted the following concessions:
1) In the outline permit issued in 2003 the site coverage was increased from 40% to 45% thus enabling the developer to develop 117 dwellings.
2) In the 2006 rationalisation schemes, various owners of properties in the scheduled area were compensated with land at Tal-Bragg.
3) By including the same scheduled site in the site plan presented to MEPA, the developers were granted a permit for 129 apartments instead of the 117 foreseen in the outline permit and the local plan.
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