The owner of a controversial fuel station built on ODZ land in Burmarrad has applied to convert part of the facility into a two-storey restaurant.
Joseph Attard, of JT Fuel Station in Triq Burmarrad, has filed a development application for excavation works with a view to constructing an underground car park and a two-floor catering establishment with a seating capacity of about 160 people.
The plan is just the sort of development that environment NGOs opposed to the previously lax regime on fuel stations had feared: that the large new ones sprouting up around the island would eventually be expanded into full-blown commercial centres.
The fuel station in Burmarrad was given a permit three years ago despite falling short on some of the criteria of the fuel station policy in force at the time.
For instance, the station is located less than 500 metres away from the closest petrol pumps in St Paul’s Bay.
Yet, the planning directorate had argued that because the stations were separated by the Erba’ Mwieżeb junction and were not accessible through the same carriageway, this particular criterion could be waived.
Objections had also been raised by the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) on the grounds that the project’s footprint exceeded the 3,000 square-metre limit stipulated by the policy as well as the fact that it was located on ODZ land.
Furthermore, works to excavate and remove the soil had been carried out before the planning authority’s go-ahead in 2017.
Both ERA and the St Paul’s Bay local council had appealed the Planning Authority’s decision to grant a permit.
Council withdrew in June 2018
However, the council withdrew the case in 2018 after a motion tabled by Labour councillor Alfred Grima was approved. His proposal was backed by five Labour councillors and an independent representative, while three PN councillors, including mayor Anne Fenech, voted against it. Four councillors were absent when the vote was taken.
ERA’s appeal was rejected by the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal.
The tribunal turned down the appeal on a technicality – the authority had not registered itself as an objector when the application was still being processed.
The owner now wants to construct a restaurant in place of the customer car park and landscaped area with trees at the back.
At the same time, the applicant is seeking a change of use to the existing cafeteria in order to incorporate the adjacent spare parts shop.
The application is still in its initial stages and is open for public consultation until the end of August.
So far, the only feedback received has been from the Agricultural Advisory Committee of the planning authority, which said that it would object to any further uptake of land for non-agricultural purposes.
Introduced shortly after Labour was elected to government in 2013, the old fuel stations policy had been heavily criticised by environmental groups who warned it would be exploited by developers to circumvent restrictions on ODZ projects.
Many had raised concerns that within a few years these stations could morph into something different through an application for change of use.
It took years for the government to finally tighten the regulations on new fuel stations, despite the public outcry. The new policy came into force a few months ago.