Controversial Mosta fields development approved
PA imposes landscaping, archaeological and habitat assessments on 40,000sqm site
An application for the development of fields on the outskirts of Mosta has been approved, nine years after a similar proposal for the same area was rejected.
The application (PC/00021/19) by developer Charles Azzopardi seeks to “establish zoning, building heights and road alignments of the rationalisation exercise site”. The approval is llikely to pave the way for the construction of three-storey buildings across most of the site at Tad-Dib, near Torri Cumbo.
The application had drawn around 400 objections from residents.
The Planning Authority board approved the application subject to a number of conditions. 70 per cent of the area designated as green space must be landscaped. There will also be no vehicular access from Cumbo Street, except for pedestrian access.
An old building on the site, which had been marked as a reserved matter, will no longer be treated as such. It will either be relocated or removed, subject to the agreement of the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage (SCH). This was because the chair was concerned about the potential traffic issue.
Objectors called for an archaeological evaluation of the entire 40,000 square metre site, as requested by the SCH. The architect for the application, a representative of Falzon & Cutajar, opposed it and asked for the assessment to be carried out plot by plot.
The chair agreed, noting that the 40,000 square metre site was too large to be assessed all at once. “So the evaluation will be carried out in phases, block by block, with an evaluation for each section.”
He added that an assessment of the natural habitat would also be required, as requested by the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA).
During the sitting, nearby residents raised concerns about the impact of the development, including on flora and fauna. One neighbour, Tanya Chaytor, said hedgehogs were regularly seen on the site. A representative of Nature Trust said the area was home to a number of animals, as well as old trees and other wildlife that should be protected.
Neighbours also expressed concerns about infrastructure and connectivity once construction begins. Stephen Gatt said he was particularly worried about parking. “We will lose the limited parking spaces we still have.” He said.
ADPD has repeatedly raised concerns about the area, and one of its members, Carmel Cacopardo, was present for Tuesday’s decision.
The party has previously traced the origins of the proposed development back to 2006, when Parliament controversially voted to open two million square metres of Outside Development Zone land for building projects as part of the ‘Rationalisation of Development Zone Boundaries’ exercise.
At Tuesday’s hearing, the chair said he understood that nearby residents wanted the land to remain an open green space but noted that it had been designated within the development zone by the government.