Żejtun ODZ fuel station application decision deferred

An application for a new fuel station on ODZ land in Żejtun has been deferred, as the applicant requested more time to address plans and reasons given by the Planning Directorate for a refusal recommendation, and on the grounds that new studies of the site need to be evaluated.

The Planning Authority (PA) was discussing an outline development application for a new fuel station on ODZ land in Żejtun, an application which saw 187 representations and objections.

This application seeks permission for the construction of not just fuel pumps, but also a service station (Shop), a truck VRT garage, a truck wash area, an ATM, car wash facilities and parking. While the applicant made the request to have the meeting deferred, ERA chairman Vince Cassar objected, saying this should have been done beforehand.

The site in question is located outside the development zone, and can be accessed from Triq Ħal Tarxien, Qasam Industrijali ta’ Bulebel, Żejtun. The site is an agricultural land parcel known as il-Ħofra ilĦamra. A few built structures are present along this side of the road, whereas industrial development is limited to the opposite side within the Bulebel Industrial Estate. According to the plans, the site area stands at 3,000 square metres, the amount allowed under current policy.

One of the reasons the Planning Directorate’s case officer had recommended that the application be refused was that “in all cases, the entrance to the fuel station should be visible from the distributor or arterial road. The site is not considered as having access from a distributor or arterial road and, as such, the proposed site is not considered suitable for the sitting of a new fuel station.” This was one of the reasons the applicant requested that the meeting be deferred; wanting more clarity on this issue.

The other reason was that the applicant wants to wait for the recommendation from an authority regarding the land studies.

The 187 representations which had been filed focused on a number of issues, including: too many petrol stations in the vicinity; loss of good quality agricultural land; the road fronting the site not being an arterial or distributor road as required; land speculation, etc.

The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) had said, according to the case officer’s report that “although the proposal qualifies for further EIA studies, this requirement is secondary to the ERA’s overriding objection to the development, which encroaches beyond the development zone boundary onto a rural area which de facto acts as a strategic open gap between Bulebel industrial estate and its surroundings. The ERA considers that there is no valid justification for the further loss of undeveloped rural land and associated environmental impacts to accommodate even further development of petrol stations. There is also concern regarding the cumulative environmental impact caused by the numerous ad hoc proposals for petrol stations currently being proposed on ODZ land. An ad hoc EIA for this proposal per se would still leave this strategic-level environmental concern unresolved.”