Application proposing warehouse complex on ODZ land in Mqabba to go before Planning Authority board on Thursday

A planning application proposing a warehouse complex on land located outside the development zone in Mqabba is set to go before the Planning Authority Board on Thursday.

This full development application proposes the construction of an industrial/warehousing complex consisting of 28 units. The application is also seeking consent for the installation of non-illuminated signs and overlying PV panels, a car parking area of 114 parking spaces and the inclusion of landscaping on site.

“The site, located Outside Development Zone in an area known as Tas-Sejba in Mqabba, has an area of circa 12,465 square metres. The surrounding area, mainly to the north, south and west of the site is dominated by quarrying activities while to the east of site characterized by agricultural fields”, the case officer’s report reads. “The Mqabba development scheme boundary lies around 180 metres away from the nearest indicated site boundary.” The site once served as a quarry.

The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) originally found the application objectionable. “The proposal seeks to introduce urban and industrial development in a quarry which should be restored back to its original pristine state, which was an agricultural field. Urban-type developments should be located in more appropriate areas already designated for such use”, the ERA wrote in October 2022. It noted that there had already been an attempt on site to construct a similar type of development, which ERA objected to. “The proposal is objectionable from an environmental point of view. It is recommended that the site is restored back to its original pristine state in accordance to a restoration method statement approved in advance by ERA”, it had said.

This position, however, later changed. Following the Environmental Impact Assessment screening that was carried out, the ERA said in August 2023, that, “EIA screening has concluded that the environmental impacts of the proposed development are unlikely to be significant. No further assessment in terms of Regulation 15 of the EIA Regulations (S.L. 549.46) is required as long as the various preventive and/or mitigation measures identified during screening are duly incorporated into the mainstream development consent mechanism.” It said that noting this, “and given that the site has an approved outline development permission through PA 06596/16 and the land use surrounding the site are mainly of an industrial nature, ERA does not object towards this proposal.” The ERA said that this reply supersedes its previous one.

The Outline Development Application had been approved in March 2022. This type of planning permission seeks to establish whether the scale and nature of a proposed development is acceptable in principle to the Authority. After receiving this planning permission an applicant will require a full development permit to actually carry out the project. The application set to go before the PA board on Thursday is for a full development permit.

The case officer, in a report, noted that according to a particular policy (SMIA 11), first preference favourably considers the rehabilitation and reversion back to agriculture purposes of quarries in Mqabba, Siggiewi and

Kirkop once these became in disuse. “The same policy also identifies a number of after-uses which are to be considered following an eventual reclamation strategy. The latter after-uses depend on the distance from a designated residential area or the Malta International Airport boundary. In line with Policy SMIA 11, any industrial/warehousing uses will only be acceptable if site is more than 250 metres away from a designated residential area or the Malta International Airport, and involves the relocation of inappropriate or inadequately mitigated Class 6A (Storage and Distribution) development. Despite proposed site confines is situated less than the required 250 metres stipulated by Policy SMIA 11 and no relocation is contemplated, the principle of the development has been established and approved in the Outline Development Permission PA 6596/16, and therefore the use of the site for the intended purpose has been established.”

“Nonetheless, as also highlighted during the processing of the outline development application, that last warehouse with number 28 is circa 250 metres from the Mqabba development zone with the area which still lies within the 250 metres buffer is proposed to be used as a parking area for the proposed warehouses, with a green belt also proposed along this side periphery. Such layout was considered acceptable as it can be considered in line with the required setback from the nearest development zone. As regards to the relocation required by same Policy, although the relocation is not being done by the applicant himself, once constructed, the relocation done by third parties is still considered to follow the aims of the Policy SMIA 11 and thus being favourably considered.”

The report made reference to another policy. “As regards to Policy SMMW 01 which promotes the rehabilitation and restoration of disused quarries as directed by Policy SMIA 11, given that site has been deemed suitable for the proposed warehouses through the approval of the outline development application PA 6596/16, the Development Management Directorate notes that although site will not be completely rehabilitated due to the proposed warehouses, a considerable depth of the quarry pit has been back filled and so aims of Policy SMMW 01 can be considered as partly achieved.”

The case officer’s report recommends the project for approval.