Mepa allows larger area for ships at Freeport

After a stormy three-hour long meeting, the planning authority yesterday gave its go-ahead for underwater excavations in Birżebbuġa intended to increase the manoeuvring area for ships at the Freeport.

The decision came against the wishes of residents who do not want vessel traffic moving closer to the bay.

While approving the application, the board of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority bound the developers to include a monitoring system which forces them to keep their environmental performance up to scratch.

The Freeport was given the go-ahead to dredge the area close to Terminal 1 in order to increase the water depth from 15.5 metres to 17 metres.

Dredging is an excavation activity, usually carried out in shallow seas or fresh water areas to collect bottom sediments and disposing of them at a different location.

During the noisy meeting, the Mepa board also imposed a new condition for the developers to follow an Eco-Management and Audit Scheme. The scheme is a monitoring system on the development's environmental impact, which is open to independent auditing.

The condition, raised during the meeting by Alternattiva Demokratika's spokesman on sustainable development, Carmel Cacopardo, calls on the Freeport to introduce the necessary controls throughout the development.

The planning authority overturned another application filed by the Freeport for the extension of Terminal 1.

Members of the Birżebbuġa local council and residents explained to the board their objections to the project.

Speaking to The Times, mayor Joseph Farrugia expressed the council's satisfaction at the board's decision to turn down the request to extend the terminal.

However, Mr Farrugia was not happy with the decision to develop a larger area for ships. Allowing bigger ships into the harbour would inconvenience residents and increase pollution in the bay, he said.

AD said it was extremely satisfied with the board's decisions.

Mr Cacopardo said the adoption of the environmental management system meant that the Freeport would introduce the necessary controls and would be in a position to address its environmental impacts over a short time-frame.