Environment Planning Directive objects to Burmarrad petrol station

The development would include storage facilities, a shop, tyre service garage, ATM and car wash facilities.

Site for a proposed petrol station in Burmarrad
Site for a proposed petrol station in Burmarrad
Site for a proposed petrol station in Burmarrad
Site for a proposed petrol station in Burmarrad

MEPA’s Environment Protection Directorate is objecting to a 3,200 square metre petrol station proposed in Burmarrad by Construction and Turnkey House Ltd, a company owned by Joseph Attard from Paola.

The development would include storage facilities, a shop, tyre service garage, ATM and car wash facilities.

A screening report by MEPA’s environmental watchdog concludes that an Environment Impact Assessment is necessary for this application.  

But the directorate insists that even an EIA would not do away with the fact that any development on this site was “objectionable from environmental and land use planning points of view”.

A Project Development Statement presented to MEPA states that the site is covered with “wild flowers and patches of wheat and cereal probably originating from seeds either left over from previous cultivation or transported by wind from neighbouring fields”.

The  EPD cannot block a planning application and its power is limited to determining whether a project needs an EIA or not.  

The 3,222 square metre site of the proposed petrol station is located just off Triq Burmarrad, an arterial road that leads to St Paul’s Bay. The site is an abandoned field.

The adjacent land uses are mainly agricultural in nature, the only exceptions being that of a residential villa a few meters uphill along the entrance to the site. Two other residences are located about 200m south west of the proposed development and a cemetery is found about 50m to the northeast.

The proposed development is located approximately 250 meters from the built-up area of St Paul’s Bay and approximately 350 metres from the built-up area of Burmarrad.

The site falls within an Area of Agricultural Value (as per Local Plan policy NWAG 01) and lies adjacent to an Area of Containment.

Areas of Containment are ODZ sites where limited industrial activity is allowed.

A policy approved last week by MEPA allows the approval of new petrol stations not only in Areas of Containment as originally proposed but also in areas which are adjacent or opposite these sites. 

In an original draft issued last year entirely new petrol stations could only be proposed within areas of containment and industrial areas and only relocated ones could apply in other rural ODZ areas.

The new policy still allows relocated petrol stations to apply in rural ODZ areas while allowing new petrol stations in areas both within and adjacent to areas of containment. 

While in areas of containment petrol stations can be larger than 3,000 square metres, development is capped at 3,000 square metres in sites adjacent to such areas.

Construction & Turnkey House Ltd, have been involved in the construction and real estate industry since 2001. The company has lately decided to restructure and diversify its interests in the construction and running of a fuel station.

The company is owned by Joseph Attard and Anthony Ciappara. Attard is also the owner of Sunjoy company, which he co-owns together with parliamentary secretary Chris Agius.