A decision on planning permission for a Lidl supermarket on the edge of Żebbuġ has been postponed by the Planning Authority pending further traffic studies and fresh plans to reduce the take-up of land outside the development zone.
The deferral took the applicant by surprise as the project, which lies on the site currently occupied by SMW Cortis near St Dorothy’s School, had been recommended for approval by the Planning Authority’s case officer.
Submitted by Joseph Cortis on behalf of Central Business Centres, the project will involve the demolition of existing building and the construction of a Lidl supermarket with ground-level parking for 252 vehicles. A basement for the processing and distributing timber products is also included.
In his presentation to the board, architect Kurt Camilleri Burlò said that the project plans are a significant reduction on the design of a complex for which a planning permit had been issued in 2010. The built footprint is being reduced from 33 to 16 per cent of the entire site measuring 13,800 square metres.
The new complex will be some three metres lower than the existing building, and efforts will be made to mitigate the visual impact by surrounding the site with trees.
The architect also pointed out that the parking facility is well above the minimum requirements as there is an over-provision of 56 spaces.
Ironically, this proved to be a controversial matter as PA board member Martin Camilleri said it made no sense to take up ODZ land in order to provide a parking facility in excess of requirements. His concerns were shared by other members, who requested the applicant to come up with a fresh plan whereby park would be reduced by these 56 extra spaces, in order to minimise the take up of ODZ land.
Another issue which cropped up was related to the traffic impact.
Transport Malta representative Jesmond Muscat pointed out that the applicant’s claim that the opening of the Central Link Project in Attard would reduce traffic near Lidl by 30 per cent was not backed up by scientific studies.
The architect insisted that the figure was reached on the basis that the new road under construction would eliminate the junction linking the road from Attard to Żebbuġ while diverting traffic from Mdina Road to Attard. He also pointed out that no scientific study on this aspect had been requested during the course of the application.
However, PA board chairman Vince Cassar said no such risks should be taken,
“We cannot commit a mistake which would not be remedied afterwards as happened previously for another supermarket,” he said.
Concerns were also raised that despite recent improvement in the area through the addition of another lane, it was nonetheless a traffic bottleneck.
The applicant was also requested to revise plans in order to guarantee access to third party garages adjacent to the site, introduce facilities for cyclists and improve pedestrian access.
In the latter case Żebbuġ mayor Malcolm Paul Galea said the possibility of linking the proposed supermarket to the other side of Mdina Road by a subway should be explored.