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News | Wednesday, 03 March 2010 Issue. 153

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Sixth LIDL supermarket set for rejection

The Planning Directorate is calling on the Malta Environment & Planning Authority to reject an application, presented by developer Charles Polidano, to construct LIDL’s sixth supermarket in Malta on ODZ (outside development zone) land between Zabbar and Xghajra.
LIDL is a European discount supermarket chain of German origin, that operates approximately 5,000 stores in over 17 countries.
MEPA has already approved five supermarkets situated in Santa Venera, San Gwann, Luqa, Safi and Zejtun.
The approval of ODZ supermarkets in Luqa and Safi was rebuked in two separate reports by MEPA’s auditor, Joe Falzon. His report on the Safi supermarket led to the en masse resignation of the DCC board in February 2008.
On the other hand, the Luqa supermarket sited on the Public Safety Zone of Runway 24 was approved, despite objections by the civil aviation authorities.
Two other ODZ LIDL supermarkets proposed in Mosta and Zebbug have already been rejected by MEPA.
MEPA’s Planning Directorate is now calling for a rejection of the supermarket despite the inclusion of part of the land in development schemes during the rationalization of boundaries carried out in 2006.
At present, the site is located in an area known as Ta’ Maggi, and consists of a farmhouse and extensive fields bounded by a high rubble wall at the back. While the whole stretch of road up to the Xghajra roundabout was included in development schemes, the back of the site was not.
The development is considered unacceptable because a substantial part of the site in question is still ODZ. According to the Planning Directorate, the site cannot be considered for such development as it is not on the periphery or in the vicinity of an established town centre.
The case officer report concludes that the proposed development would represent unacceptable urban development in the countryside.
The location of the proposed supermarket is also deemed not to be in line with the South Malta Local Plan, which stipulates that large supermarkets (exceeding 500m2), should be preferably located within or on the edge of town centres.
The development is also considered unacceptable in view of the lack of vehicle parking spaces.
Meanwhile, according to the popular on-line ecyclopedia Wikipedia, LIDL is set to open seven more stores in Malta by the end of 2010, including two outlet in Gozo. This would bring the total of LIDL supermarkets in Malta to 12.
However, the Wikipedia entry does not cite its sources, and so far no new planning applications for LIDL supermarkets have been submitted to MEPA.

 


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