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James Debono
The area in Ta’ Qali identified by the US government to build its new American embassy will be turned into a development zone according to the new development boundaries just proposed by Cabinet.
In a preliminary analysis of the new development zones identified by the government and the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, it emerges that the area identified for the new American embassy in Ta’ Qali, which was previously outside development zones, has now been included in the new development plans.
The analysis also shows that another chunk of land in Attard a few metres away from the new embassy, as well as two chunks of land in Msida, which were never identified for development have been included in the new scheme.
These areas were not included by former Minister Michael Falzon who defined the temporary boundaries in 1988 to close the floodgates to reckless development opened by the notorious former Labour Minister Lorry Sant.
But the new areas were not even included in Lorry Sant’s building plans.
These particular areas do not qualify as pockets within existing boundaries as indicated in the cabinet memo.
New American embassy
The present counting hall and medical stores were not included in the 1988 Temporary Provision Schemes.
Practically this would have meant that the new US embassy would have ended up outside the country’s development schemes. The proposed scheme also gives the Americans some additional space around the present medical stores.
In October a Home Affairs Ministry spokesperson confirmed the sale of the vote-counting centre as well as the storage area used by health department to the US government. But the area was still outside existing development zones.
The complex had been sold to the US Department of States for USD18.5 million (Lm6.5 million.) The sale was equivalent to 64 plots each measuring around 250 square metres at a commercial value of Lm100,000 each.
The hall had been recently closed down because of harmful asbestos fixings. A US embassy spokesperson had told MaltaToday that no new facilities are envisaged for the new compound.
The US government had embarked on a long-term project to replace “rather than to merely upgrade many diplomatic facilities overseas” back in 1998.
A huge parcel of land facing Triq Dun Mikiel Scerri in Attard just a few metres from the new embassy in also being proposed for inclusion in the new scheme.
This site was originally included in an outline application for the Ta’ Qali national park presented in August 1997.
An application to develop jogging and cycle tracks on the same site was not accepted by MEPA back in 2002.
Greater Msida
The proposed scheme also includes terraced land between Swatar and Valley Road, which does not qualify as a pocket of land between existing developments. The area lies on a ridge behind the Dunlopillo showroom.
Another area included in Msida, which was never indicated for development, is a massive stretch of land between lying between Swatar and the new Mater Dei Hospital. This area includes the area around St Martin’s college, agricultural land and an area already disturbed by road works.
jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt
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