James Debono Officials from the Lands Department accompanied by the police have been taking measurements of plots of agricultural land in Tal-Karwija, in Safi, opposite the hanger earmarked for the SR Technic aviation park.
One of the farmers told MaltaToday that the officials informed them that the agricultural lease on their land will be terminated in view of the SR Technic project, and that they will be receiving a written notice shortly.
The land in question includes a farmhouse full of livestock, as well as farmland mainly dedicated to potato cultivation. The land also includes two carob trees, some olive trees and vineyards.
The land was leased from the government for at least the past three generations, the farmers told MaltaToday. They also claim the development will affect 10 families of part-time farmers.
“We are not against the SR Technic project but we cannot understand why this should affect agricultural land,” a farmer told this newspaper.
By the time of going to print, no reply was forthcoming from the Ministry of Finance, the ministry responsible for land leases, on whether any agricultural leases will be terminated and why.
So far no development permit has been issued on the land worked by the farmers, and plans exhibited when the project was inaugurated two weeks ago did not include this agricultural land.
In February, MEPA issued a permit for the demolition and construction of a new hangar through the application of a Development Notification Order (DNO): a simplified procedure normally used to approve air-conditioning tanks, internal alterations and temporary structures, but also applicable to any development within the parameters of the airport.
The development, approved in just four days, covers a substantial part of the proposed 20-hectare aviation park, but any development outside the parameters of the airport, such as the re-routing of the existing road leading to Safi, will require a full development permit.
The project will lead to the closure of the road leading to Safi. Instead, the present taxiway will be turned into a road leading to Safi centre.
According to government officials, the ‘new road’ will not have any impact on the traffic flow as it will simply merge into the ‘current road’ which already leads to the Safi centre. The works will entail the creation of a different route for the same road destination.
However, Malta Industrial Parks is ready to commission any traffic impact studies required by MEPA if this turns out to be the case. The €17 million project is being spearheaded by Malta Industrial Parks which falls under the Ministry for Finance.
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