Agricultural land earmarked for Hal Far mega petrol pump

A brand new petrol station is being proposed along Triq Hal Far, on over 4,000 square metres of agricultural land adjacent to the Hal Far shooting range and opposite the Caribbean Bar in Birzebbugia.  

The application, originally presented in January 2016, has passed the screening stage and has been validated by the Planning Authority, which will be taking a decision in the coming months. Objections to the new development can be sent to the PA till 2 December.

The application includes plans for a mechanical shop, a 65 square-metre snack bar and cafeteria, a VRT garage, a valeting garage and car wash facilities. 484 square metres of the 4,019 square metre site will be built up.

The new policy regulating the development of petrol stations permits the development of petrol stations “adjacent or opposite” industrial areas. The policy originally only allowed the relocation of petrol stations from urban areas to the ODZ but this was changed at the last stage. This was later changed, following public consultation, to include ODZ land “in the vicinity of industrial zones”.

“Some of the submissions and a number of meetings with individuals suggested a widening of the opportunities for locating fuel stations,” a spokesperson for the PA told MaltaToday in March 2015 when asked why this change was made.

In this case the industrial area borders on the shooting range, which is opposite the proposed development.

The application for the new petrol station was presented by Michael Zammit, who is represented by architect and government advisor Robert Musumeci. Back in 2002 he had an application for the construction of five stables covering 90 square metres of land on the same site turned down by the authority. The decision was confirmed on appeal in 2008. The appeals board found the development unacceptable as it was located in a rural conservation area.

In 2014 the Planning Authority approved an application to upgrade the shooting range on condition that grass blocks are used for a car park for 80 cars. In October this condition was lifted to allow the asphalting of the parking area, despite the objections of the Planning Directorate and the Environment and Resources Authority. The latter had warned that this would result in the “excessive formalisation” of this rural area. 

In November 2014 the PA had also approved an application for a change of use of the Caribbean Bar to a restaurant and nightclub.

The PA faces a backlog of ODZ applications, including two adjacent ones in Burmarrad, one in Kirkop, one along the coast road and one in Attard, and another near the Water Services Corporation in Luqa. 

But so far none of these applications has been approved and a proposed ODZ petrol station at Maghtab has been turned down.