Naxxar fair grounds controversy persists

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority's comment that the fair grounds in Naxxar do not need a permit to start operating again is in conflict with the authority's own local plan, according to the owner of the Ta' Qali tent.

Sign IT managing director Ruben Caruana, who bought out the Trade Fair Corporation and started organising the annual trade fair instead, said he was surprised by Mepa's comments in The Times yesterday.

The Central Malta Local Plan states that in the event that the Naxxar trade fair "ceases operation either through closure or relocation" Mepa will not continue recognising the use of the site for trade fair purposes.

"The local plan, approved by Parliament in 2006, states the Naxxar site was of high residential value and to my knowledge the trade fair has relocated to Ta' Qali," Mr Caruana said, insisting trade fair operations at Naxxar ceased two years ago.

In its reply, Mepa said the operators had "a right to re-use the premises in accordance with their original use" since the grounds had been used as fair grounds long before Mepa was established.

Mr Caruana said: "I have written to the Mepa chairman and the Prime Minister asking for an explanation because when I joined forces with the Trade Fair Corporation in 2006, the premise was that the trade fair would relocate to Ta' Qali."

The uneasy partnership between Sign IT and the corporation, which brought together government, employer bodies and the Trade Fair Exhibitors Association, ended last year when the private company partnered with Nexos to buy out the corporation.

The announcement last week, that a new company formed by members of the Trade Fair Exhibitors Association had entered into a five-year lease agreement with Scicluna Estates to organise fairs at the Naxxar grounds, took many by surprise.

Naxxar council criticised the plans after the town was relieved of the inconvenience two years ago when the annual trade fair moved to Ta' Qali.