Santa Marija estate woodland threatened by bungalows

The Planning Authority’s executive council has approved a zoning request for a new road inside Mellieħa’s Santa Marija estate to make way for six new bungalows built on 7,500sq.m of dense woodland, one of the last undeveloped plots in the villa area.

All board members voted in favour bar the CEO of the Environment and Resources Authority, Michelle Piccinno, and the ERA’s deputy chairperson Carmen Buttigieg.

Both the PA’s executive chairman Maryin Saliba and PA board chairman Vince Cassar, voted in favour.

The woodland area has been listed as “an area of ecological importance” ever since 1996, for its mature trees and a protected watercourse passing through the valley.

However since 2006, the northwest local plan has earmarked the area and its surroundings for residential development.

Indeed, the case officer’s report recommending approval for the development recognised that area is “ecologically sensitive”. While recommending the integration of the trees in the proposed development for some six bungalows, the case officer acknowledged that the zoning request will result in the felling of mature trees. And while the report claims the issues raised by ERA had been “resolved”, the ERA representatives on the PA’s executive council still voted against.

Instead the case officer called for “precautions” and “mitigation measures” to be taken the actual planning application for the bungalow development will be presented after the zoning of this new cul de sac. The road will make possible the development of the new villas.

The zoning application was approved with a condition that “before the commencement of any construction works including the excavations, an environmental permit is to be sought from ERA prior for any intervention on the protected trees”.

According to plans submitted in the zoning application, the bungalows will occupy 30% of the site area while the new access road on its own will occupy 1,000sq.m of afforested land.

It remains unclear how the uprooting of trees can be avoided when plans show that the proposed cul de sac and the villas will be located on the existing woodland. Suzanne Grima’s Gx4 Projects Limited presented the zoning application.