Developers plan 60 warehouse complex off narrow Għargħur lane

Developers are planning to build 60 warehouses in ODZ land off a narrow residential lane between Għargħur and Madliena, in a move described as “insane” and “ridiculous” by residents.

The plans emerged after tuna farming magnate Anthony Azzopardi revived 20-year-old plans to build a “proposed class 6A warehouse” off Triq Santa Katerina – leading onto the busy Triq tal-Balal dual carriageway linking Naxxar and San Ġwann – on the outskirts of Għargħur. 

A spokesperson for Azzopardi said the site would not be used by tuna farming giant Azzopardi Fisheries and stressed ownership had been transferred to another of Azzopardi’s companies, Anchor Properties, a year ago.

The application covers a proposed 2,100 square metre warehouse but is part of larger plans to develop the area into a warehouse complex comprising some 60 warehouse units.

Residents oppose the plans, saying their narrow and already congested one-way street will end up being used as an access road for the complex, becoming even busier and more dangerous.

Developers say the complex will see over 150 vehicles entering and leaving the site at peak hours during the week and over 50 at peak hours over the weekend, while estimating that heavy goods vehicle traffic will not increase “considerably”.

Residents also worry the development will see noise levels and pollution in the area rise and the value of their properties depreciate, while questioning why the project cannot be moved to an industrial park instead.

Plans spread across six permits and three plots

Azzopardi's proposal, which has been recommended for approval by the Planning Authority (PA) case officer, is one of six PA permit applications by different applicants across three adjacent plots in the grounds of a depleted quarry. One permit is already approved and four are pending.

It is not clear whether either of the other two plots are owned by Azzopardi or Anchor Properties.

The site lies of Triq Santa Katerina leading onto the busy Triq tal-Balal dual carriageway. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier.

The saga begins

The plans date back to 2005, with Azzopardi's application seeing bursts of activity over the years until 2022, when the Malta Resources Authority (MRA) said it could not recommend the project for approval due to a policy to restore depleted quarries to their original condition.

The application lay dormant again for three years until January, when a mineral report suggesting the presence of limestone at the site was uploaded to the PA website.

A flurry of activity followed last month, including site and floor plans and traffic management plans drafted between 2017 and 2018 on behalf of all permit applicants across the three plots, which proposed widening Triq Santa Katerina and installing traffic signs and road markings to help manage traffic.

A subsequent perfunctory Transport Malta response, also from 2018 but uploaded to the PA a week ago, found no objection to the proposal while noting the one-way system would continue.

The PA case officer recommended the application for approval last week, saying Transport Malta was OK with the company's traffic proposals and that the site was a quarry close to existing warehouses.

A decision on the application is expected later this month. Martin Farrugia is architect for the project.

Developers want to build a complex of 60 warehouses across three plots on the site. The recently approved application covers plot A. Graphic: PA.

Residents note traffic plan is seven years old

The residents say the traffic plans put together by the developer and approved by Transport Malta were drafted back in 2017, almost seven years ago.

They say the traffic management plan - which assumes less than one vehicle per unit will enter the site in the mornings - do not reflect the reality on the ground.

“It’s much busier now than it’s ever been,” said one resident who asked not to be named.

“It’s already difficult to join the road, let alone with the additional traffic [from the new project] ... I cannot understand how those plans still have merit and how the case officer recommended the application for approval,” she said.

“It’s ridiculous and absolutely doesn’t make sense.”

Another resident agreed, calling the project “complete insanity” and stressing the area used to be a “lovely bit of countryside; it did have some quarries, but this part of land was exempted”.

Residents fear their narrow road will become even more perilous to pedestrians with the increased traffic. Photo: Residents.

Expressing concerns about the increased traffic to and from the site, he said it would make walking in the area more difficult, with the road already narrow: “There are no pavements; when a car is passing, you have to find a place not to get squashed”.

Responding to plans to widen the road, the resident expressed doubts about the solution, stressing “they can’t just widen the road; it’s private property [to the sides],” while stressing the impact of additional traffic to the area would be “beyond belief”.

Residents also fear the massive development will add to the strain of an already overloaded cesspit in the area which they say is already "constantly overflowing". 

A transport plan for the site shows sole access on Triq Santa Katerina and traffic flow on nearby roads. Graphic: PA.

Objections to the proposed development lodged with the PA go back as far as 2012. 

Developer: ‘This is not a green area’

A spokesperson for Azzopardi said that while the site was on ODZ land, it was “a bit different as it’s not a green area” while highlighting plans to plant trees on the roof of the complex.

“It’s a redevelopment of an existing licensed quarry,” he said, noting other such facilities were present in the area.

The developers want to plant olive trees on the roof of the warehouse. Graphic: PA.

Responding to traffic concerns, the spokesperson stressed that traffic management plans had been supplied with the PA permit application as required, adding that “if the permit is issued [approved], we will do everything according to that”.

Turning to concerns over noise pollution and water discharges, he said the applicant wanted to “reduce disturbance to third parties”.

He reiterated that the site was planned for “general warehousing use” and would not be used as a distribution centre or by Azzopardi Fisheries, “definitely” ruling out use of the facility by the tuna farming giant in the immediate future.