BIDNIJA PROPOSAL
Environmental NGOs condemn and oppose controversial application
Environmental NGOs Din L-Art Helwa, Front Harsien ODZ and Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar, have all condemned and opposed the Bidnija development outline application.
The controversial application, which was highlighted by The Malta Independent on Sunday, proposes the construction of 18 large garages, lodged by storage and recycling company U-Store.
Residents of the tranquil countryside village worry that this development will initiate the creation of an industrial zone in an Outside Development Zone on the area, which was once a chicken farm. Concerns are shown towards both environmental aspects and the residents’ quality of life.
“As a front we are very concerned that the rural development policy is basically permitting a lot of development in rural areas, not only big ones, like the one which is being proposed, but also smaller ones which have a massive cumulative impact on Malta’s rural areas,” said Michael Briguglio for Front Harsien ODZ, when contacted by this newspaper. “We are definitely going to oppose this proposal,” he added, “little by little, the face of Malta’s countryside is changing and big developments such as these make it even worse”.
With reference to the objection of the proposed development by the Environment and Resources Authority, Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar argued that, “if it is the ERA’s expert opinion that this application in the rural area of Bidnija should be refused, then it is the Planning Authority’s responsibility to follow through with this recommendation and refuse the application flat out”.
Last weekend, the ERA objected the development of the project, saying that the proposal cannot be justified, and that such use can easily be developed within areas specifically for such uses and not “at the expense of sacrificing agricultural uses in order to introduce commercial activities”. Sources also told this newspaper that the planning application is already being fast-tracked by the Planning Authority.
“Following the MEPA demerger, the number of approved applications in the ODZ has doubled, despite the majority being recommended for refusal by the newly formed Environment and Resources Authority,” FAA informed this newspaper, adding that, “such irresponsible shortsighted decisions taken by the Planning Authority cannot be allowed to continue. So-called development can no longer be allowed to demolish, consume and destroy all that is left of our scarce and increasingly vulnerable countryside.”
When contacted, Din L-Art Helwa also stated that it will be objecting this application and backed up the ERA by stating that they “strongly agree” with ERA’s position on the application, and “condemn any reuse of such zones for purposes which are not agricultural.” The NGO observed that from the aerial photo, a piece of garigue is “clearly visible” within the site. “Should land which ceases to provide an agriculture-related industrial use not be reverted back to its natural state in Outside Development Zones?” they asked, “let us keep industrial zones for industry and agricultural ones for agriculture”.
While the application makes reference to storage and distribution operations, residents claim that, in reality the proposed developers are marketing the 18 garages by wordof-mouth for industrial use rather than storage purposes. Each warehouse allegedly costs €600,000, making the whole lot a €10 million turnover venture, with millions of euro in profit for the developers.