Burmarrad: watchdog says roundabout must be relocated

A proposed roundabout in Burmarrad will damage an old reservoir connected to an underground irrigation system used by several generations of farmers, the heritage authorities have warned.

The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage is calling on Infrastructure Malta to relocate a roundabout on the Burmarrad main road, at a junction where a supermarket is being planned.

The supermarket, located outside the development zones, is being proposed by construction firm Bonnici Brothers, which has plans for a residential development on a 5,800sq.m tract of land on the other side of the supermarket.

The cultural heritage watchdog noted that the proposed works will “directly impact” on an adjacent water reservoir, located to the east of Triq Burmarrad and linked to agricultural activity in the area.

Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg has denied that the roundabout was intended to benefit Bonnici Brothers, and reprimanded critics of the project for “not being honest when they said an old reservoir in the area was going to be removed”.   

But the minister has been contradicted by the SCH: the watchdog had already inspected the site and expressed concern “that the proposed roundabout will impinge directly onto this reservoir by extending proposed pavement over its footprint”.

The Superintendence made it clear that it objects to any impact on the reservoir and “strongly” recommended a realignment or relocation of the proposed roundabout.

According to the SCH, this reservoir is part of a complex of structures abutting a large country house of considerable architectural and vernacular value.

Both the country house and the reservoir are clearly indicated in the 1897 Ordnance Survey Sheets, which confirm their degree of antiquity and historical value. The historical value of the reservoir was confirmed during an inspection of the site by officers of the Superintendence.

But while the SCH stood in defence of agricultural land in the area, the Environment and Resources Authority has given its go-ahead to the controversial project despite its over 6,000 objections.

“Given the nature of the proposed road works and the site context, the ERA has no major concerns for the proposal from an environmental point of view,” the environment authority said.

In November, a spokesperson for Infrastructure Malta confirmed with MaltaToday that part of the reservoir will be impacted by the works. The spokesperson explained that IM wanted to raise the footpath along one side of the roundabout with ramps so that it goes over part of the reservoir, without having to dismantle it.

However, the same spokesperson confirmed that one of the corners of the rectangular structure will need to be rebuilt in a new alignment to accommodate the new stretch of cycle lane, which cannot be raised in the same way as the footpath.