Civil Society Network calls for ‘holistic sustainable development master plan’

The Civil Society Network has called on the government to draw up a holistic sustainable development master plan for the entire island before it decides on specific high-rise development projects around Malta.

The minister for the environment has been reported saying that no major projects would be accepted in the Paceville area before a master plan for the zone is drafted, and before the Parliamentary Committee for the Environment is consulted.

“The master plan should assess the impacts of such development on matters such as residents’ quality of life, local and national infrastructure such as roads, drainage, water, the generation of traffic, the duration of construction, shading of other properties, skyscraper wind effect, dumping of huge amounts of excavation waste and the impact on the skyline of world heritage sites,” the NGO said in a statement.

The NGO said that decisions regarding high-rise development should be made by citizens, and not by a select few, taking the development of high-rise parking spaces in Mriehel as an example.

“A public consultation process should first be carried out on whether Mriehel should become a location for high-rise buildings at all.”

According to the NGO, this area was not included in the Planning Authority’s draft policy for tall buildings in 2014. “Approving Mriehel as a high-rise zone without consulting the public would be objectionable and possibly illegal.”

The NGO also said that high-rise would be developed in the direct view path between Mdina and Valletta, the two main historic features on Malta’s landscape.

“The view of Mdina is the main historic feature on Malta’s landscape. This historical heritage must not be impacted in any way, due to its beauty, its significance and also its economic value which contributes to Malta’s quality tourism product.”

The NGO criticised the proposed structure on the supposed excessive traffic burden it will reportedly cause.

“Mriehel’s infrastructure cannot support the size of development being proposed. The roads are already congested and the high-rise building will impact other infrastructure.”

The proposed development in Mriehel will consist of four tower blocks comprising 16, 18, 20 and 14 storeys, sitting on top of five basement levels. It will include just under 40,000 square metres of office space, 1,060 square metres of retail space, a 790 square metre show room, a 1,735 square metre gymnasium and day care centre, a 1,225 square metre supermarket and 33,831 square metres of parking spaces catering for 1,032 cars.