The St Paul’s Bay local council will be objecting to a controversial proposal to construct a two-storey restaurant on the grounds of a fuel station in Burmarrad that lies outside the development zone.
Former mayor Graziella Galea, who was behind the motion to object, says nearby residents would be better served with a pharmacy than a catering establishment.
The motion was approved on Wednesday with nine votes in favour and four abstentions.
Contacted by Times of Malta, Galea said she had objected to the construction of the fuel station in the first place, amid fears this would set a precedent for further destruction of agricultural land.
“A restaurant is surely not a necessity for station clients, and can easily be accommodated in other areas. What is definitely required in Burmarrad is a pharmacy,” Galea said.
In 2017, the council had challenged the decision to grant a permit for the fuel station only for the case to be dropped a year later.
The owner of JT Fuel Station in Triq Burmarrad, Joseph Attard, has filed a development application for excavation works with a view to constructing an underground car park and a two-floor catering establishment with seating capacity of about 160 people.
The move has vindicated the criticism levelled by NGOs who have repeatedly warned that the previously lax regime on fuel stations was just a way to circumvent ODZ planning laws.
Another objector to the latest proposal is Moviment Graffitti, which is vociferous against the proliferation of fuel stations.
In its submissions to the Planning Authority, it noted that the permit for the fuel station itself had been issued despite falling short of several criteria such as its location being less than 500 metres away from the next station.
The NGO said that under the new fuel station policy, the proposed development was not allowed on two counts.
First, it would constitute a change of use, and, secondly, as the existing policy states, if any catering facilities are allowed they should only be sited at ground floor level.