Fuel station in Siġġiewi's main square being overhauled
Planning case officer noted the plans will not significantly increase activity
The fuel station located on Siġġiewi’s main square is being overhauled, a year after previous owners withdrew an application to relocate it outside the development zone (ODZ).
Now owned by Nicholas Bonello, it has been closed off with concrete blocks since the beginning of July as refurbishment works begin under a permit granted in 2018 (PA/04632/15). Previous owners Frank and Mario Mallia had applied for a permit to renovate the petrol station in 2015 and this had been issued three years later.
The permit was granted after a planning case officer endorsed the application, noting that the plans will not significantly increase activity on the site.
Neighbours were disappointed that the Planning Authority granted a permit, despite a law introduced in 2015 – later amended in 2019 – that found fuel stations to be incompatible with urban areas and offered the possibility of relocating these elsewhere.
After the owners were granted a permit to carry out refurbishment works, they filed a new application in 2019 to expand and relocate the fuel station to Siġġiewi’s bypass, Triq Mons. Mikel Azzopardi, which was ODZ and just 13 metres from a residential area (PA/04576/19).
This application received numerous objections, as well as an objection from the Environmental Resources Authority (ERA), however, the previous owners defended the move.
There were no further developments on this application from 2020 until it was withdrawn a year ago.
Bonello did not wish to comment.
Siġġiewi mayor Julian Borg said the fuel station has been in the square for as long as he can remember.
“We would love not to have a petrol station in the square but the fuel station is subject to a permit and commitment granted years ago,” he noted.
Since the fuel station is so old, Borg said the owners were required by the authorities to upgrade if they wanted to keep the fuel station operating in the square.
“Unless there is a compromise between the owners of the fuel station and the government to agree on a different site to place the fuel station, then the fuel station is likely to remain there; serving its patrons is such an essential service,” he said.