The environment authority has taken issue with plans for another fuel station outside the development zone as the long-awaited review of the controversial policy governing such projects continues.
The Planning Authority is considering an application to “relocate” an existing fuel station from Ta’ Xbiex to a site of about 3,000 square metres of agricultural land off Mdina Road, Żebbuġ.
The facility would include a workshop, a retail shop, offices and a car wash.
In its response to a screening request, the Environment and Resources Authority said the proposal was “premature” while the fuel stations policy was still under review and that the application should wait until the updated policy came into force.
The policy review was announced in January 2018 but has yet to be concluded. Following a protest by environmental activists over the prolonged delays, Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg said the revised policy would be published by the end of this month.
Proposals by the ERA for the policy review would rule out relocations to ODZ land but the government has indicated this could remain permissible under the new policy.
In its comments on the Żebbuġ application, the environment watchdog restated its overriding objection that there was “no valid justification for the further loss of undeveloped rural land and associated environmental impacts to accommodate even further development of petrol stations”.
No valid justification for further loss of rural land
It had previously warned that the project would result in “further deterioration” of the area’s landscape by taking up undeveloped rural land for commercial uses.
The regulator also expressed concern over the cumulative environmental impact of the large number of petrol stations being proposed on ODZ land and said that case-by-case environmental studies left the broader concern unresolved.
A project description statement submitted by the developers states that the fuel station would provide a service to “transient traffic as well as the local traffic generated by the surrounding business activities and industrial area” as well as allow access to essential auto-motive-related sales.
In the planning document, the developers say a number of measures will be taken to mitigate noise pollution and visual impact as well as to protect the quality of water and air on site and in the surrounding areas.
The site is designated for agricultural use under the Attard local plan and is adjacent to land listed as an area of scientific importance due to an existing watercourse of hydrological significance.