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local
news
Explosion
testing in response to quarry proposal
By
Nadine Brincat
The Planning Authority (PA) will be conducting inspections as
well as test explosions in part of Wied Ghomor to test the viability
of extending a quarry situated in the Valley.
The Valley, part of which has been scheduled for protection, divides
San Gwann and Swieqi, bordering on a residential area.
The test explosions will occur in area B of the valley, as site
A is close to the residential area.
The idea behind the explosion is experimental, intended to simulate
the effects of the quarry operations on the valley. The date for
which the explosions are set to go off, is yet to be agreed upon
by the board.
The application, which had already been turned down by the PA,
after receiving opposition from both Local Councils, proposed
to extend excavation depths by 45 metres, and to regularise the
extension of the hardstone quarry.
Mr Paul Abela, Swieqi Mayor told Malta Today that his Local Council
had asked the PA to reject the extension of the Wied Ghomor quarry.
He said that the initial PA rejection to the proposal of extending
the quarry, had been to reject it.
When asked about the plea for reconsideration of the application
for the quarry to dig deeper into the ground, and extend the area,
the Swieqi Mayor said the Local Council would oppose the extension.
Mr Abela emphasised that as a Mayor he could not be one sided.
"To be fair, to both, the quarry owner had obtained permits
first, while residents were later given permission to build villas
in the vicinity", he explained.
Mr Abela said that ultimately the culprit of the current situation
was the person who had issued the permits at the time. "Someone
must explain why these permits were issued," he insisted,
adding that he fully understood the quarry owner's position.
In this respect, Mr Abela explained that when Wied Ghomor was
scheduled for protection, the quarry owner and the quarry had
also been taken into consideration. "The Local Council, has
inherited a problem which effects the Swieqi residents, the quarry
owner as well as the PA," he concluded.
Ms Helen Fenech, San Gwann Mayor said that
though Wied Ghomor formed part of San Gwann, the site in the valley,
which is used by the quarry falls within Swieqi boundaries.
She stressed that the San Gwann Local Council was monitoring the
issue closely, to protect the valley, ensuring that it does not
undergo any further developments.
Parts of Wied Ghomor have been scheduled for protection, by means
of green belts and other measures. Ms Fenech insisted that the
San Gwann Local Council was opposed to any developments breaching
the protection measures, and with the development of the quarry.
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