[WATCH] Leo Brincat compares American University to San Anton 1989 development

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Environment Minister Leo Brincat says the government is open to suggestions for alternative locations for the planned American University for the south of Malta while citing approval of San Anton school (Mgarr) in 1989 befor the planning authority was set up as an example of ODZ educational development carried out in the past.

The €115 million Jordanian investment was originally proposed outside development zones in the vicinity of Zonqor Point in Marsaskala and is scheduled to cover 90,000 square metres of agricultural land, 90% of which is  government-owned.

Environment Minister Leo Brincat said that “ideally” the project should not be built up in an ODZ area, and that the prime minister had consequently made an open invitation for alternative locations for the project.

“The government is very willing to weigh all the possibilities just as long as the project can stay in the south of the island and maintain the same scope as the current project does,” Brincat said stressing that the government was  open to any viable alternatives.

Brincat also pointed out that exceptions to building in ODZ areas had already been applied in the past.

“It was pointed out that some high standard schools such as San Anton for instance, had been built on agricultural land.”

San Anton school was approved by an act of parliament in 1989 three years before the setting up of the Planning Authority and the approval of the structure plan in 1992. Brincat reiterated his support for the sustainable development of the south.

“The government is open to alternatives, but I cannot agree with those who say they support sustainable development, yet discourage development at the same time.”

Brincat also defended the proposed natural park saying that nobody could disagree that the south of the island  needed to have more natural environment rather than just polluting industries. The natural park was first announced by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat  on May 1st along with the announced development of a new university campus in the south of Malta.

On Sunday MaltaToday revealed that the drafting of plans for the new project in Zonqor area have already commenced with architect Ray Demicoli saying that studies will determine whether the ecological zones mentioned in the South Malta Local Plan are still important. Demicoli also claimed that the project will include extensive landscaping to respect the green surroundings.

Following the announcement of the new university in the south, Alternattiva Demokratika had claimed that the proposed area for the project, would encroach on an  areas in the South of Malta described as "sites of scientific and ecological  importance proposed for scheduling," by the Malta Environment Planning Authority in the South Malta Local Plan.  The government replied that the project was envisaged on "unused agricultural land" and that it would not encroach "as far as possible" on ecological zones.

On Sunday Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announced that alternative sites will be assessed by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority during the processing of the development application.