Ecologically sensitive Mellieha land earmarked for development
James Debono
A stretch of land in the Ta’ l-Ibrag zone, limits of Mellieha, which includes areas of garigue and a number of carob trees, has been earmarked for intensive residential development in a ‘planning control application’ submitted to the Malta Environment & Planning Authority.
This stretch land was formerly classified as Outside the Development Zones (ODZ), and was only included in building schemes with the ‘rationalisation’ of boundaries carried out in 2006.
The inclusion of Ta’ l-Ibrag in development boundaries was justified as a way to compensate owners of land in Tas-Sellum, who had their properties excluded from the building schemes because of the ecological value of this land, as well as for safety reasons.
The land in question belonged to former Nationalist Mellieha mayor Joe Borg: father-in-law of Edgar Galea Curmi, who heads the Prime Minister’s private secretariat.
The original inclusion of Ta’l-Ibrag in building schemes led to a storm of protests in 2006 by residents, Alternattiva Demokratika, the Labour Party and NGOs, and a petition was also sent to the EU Commission.
The developers are now seeking approval for semi-basement and two-floor development along Triq Mario De Vasi, and along two minor side roads and a semi basement and three overlying floors along a new road to be opened parallel to Triq Mario De Vasi.
The local plan already envisions the additional development of penthouses.
In a letter sent to MEPA in November, the Mellieha local council led by Nationalist mayor Robert Cutajar objected to the proposed “speculative development”, claiming that it would have “an irreversible visual and environmental impact.”
“If MEPA is inclined to approve this application, to compensate the landowners involved for the loss of floor space brought about by the removal of their property at Sellum from building schemes, it should consider other sites located away from the ODZ, either at Mellieha or in other localities,” the council’s letter said.
The council claims that while development along Triq Mario De Vasi will remain within the limits set in the local plan, the development of a semi basement and three floors is not in line with the maximum building height allowed on the fringes of development areas.
The local council had already objected to the inclusion of Ta’l-Ibrag in building schemes in 2006, when it was led by Labour mayor Joe Buttigieg. On that occasion Joe Borg, in his role of councillor, refrained from taking part in the meeting citing a personal interest.
When the latest application was discussed in the council in October 2009, mayor Robert Cutajar declared that “if the decision to utlise land at Ta’ l-Ibrag was not final, the government should not be constrained to consider only land in Mellieha”.
Any comments?
If you wish your comments to be published in our Letters pages please click button below. Please write a contact number and a postal address where you may be contacted.
