ERA issues clearance for new church school in Għaxaq ODZ

The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) on Friday issued its clearance for the relocation of St Albert College from Valletta to agricultural land in Għaxaq.

Although the ERA does not have the final say on the project’s approval, its clearance will influence the Planning Authority’s final decision.

Revised plans put forward by the Dominican Order that runs the school show a reduction in the take-up of agricultural land from what was originally proposed in 2020.

The development will now be concentrated closer to the ODZ boundary in the northern part of the site while development has been omitted from the southern part.

Despite the expected loss of 26,495sq.m of agricultural land, the ERA’s Directorate welcomed a number of improvements made to previous proposals. These include the reorganisation of the school layout, the relocation of the running track to roof level, and the removal of a football pitch.

During the meeting, the project architect confirmed that the agricultural land earmarked for the new school is no longer being tilled.

However, Martin Galea De Giovanni, an ERA board member representing environmental NGOs, insisted that, despite no longer being used, the land still has potential. While appreciating the efforts made by the school to reduce the land take up, he also expressed concern about the impact of having a large school located next to a small village, particularly in terms of traffic. Galea De Giovanni was the only board member who voted against the project.

School rector Fr Aaron Zahra responded by saying that the school will attract more students from the south and help alleviate traffic pressures on Valletta where it is presently located.

He insisted that the school can no longer remain at its present site.

“Even when we do a fire drill, it is very difficult to reassemble the students in St George’s Square,” he said. He also lamented the proximity of the current school to bars and restaurants.

A memo presented by ERA’s directorate before the meeting refers to the substantial reduction in land take-up and overall footprint.

The new plans propose a reduction in total land take-up from 35,875sq.m, as outlined in 2020, to 26,495sq.m—a 26% decrease. Nineteen of the 58 protected trees in the area will still be lost. However, the project also foresees the planting of 450 trees.

In view of these changes, the directorate concluded that ERA’s concerns about the project have been addressed and that it is favourably considering the revised proposal, subject to a number of conditions. These include an obligation to reuse the soil removed from the site and the installation of horizontally downward-pointing external lighting.

The plans foresee the development of a school campus consisting of two three-storey buildings and one two-storey building above ground level, an underground indoor sports complex, underground car parking, and outdoor sports facilities.

Despite the improvements, the project will still have a number of significant environmental impacts. These include the excavation of 30,000 cubic metres of inert material, 12,000 cubic metres of which are to be reused on site. The project will also negatively impact groundwater recharge due to extensive soil sealing.

The school development conforms to the local plan approved in 2006, which allocated this parcel of agricultural land for school development. The land was earmarked following a site selection study. Environmental NGOs had called for a new site selection study limited to brownfield sites in the development zone.