The Environment and Planning Commission (EPC) today deferred its decision for the proposed development of a supermarket in Xewkija.

The Commission requested the local planning unit to provide guidance on whether or not the area, which is designated for ‘mixed use’ can also include the development of a supermarket. The area policy stipulates that the area, where the proposed development is sited, can accommodate warehouses, general industry, retail and offices.

The Commission also requested the applicant to address the safety of vehicular access and exit and internal maneuverability of service vehicles. The Commission will take a final decision on this application on the 01st June 2012.

The Authority said that it “would also wish to clarify a number of incorrect and misleading details that got reported in the media over the past days.”

“The facts, as evaluated by both the Planning and Environment Directorate, are accordingly:

– The area where the proposed supermarket is sited is neither scheduled or otherwise protected.

– There is no such protective designation as an “ECO Gozo scheduled water conservation site”. This type of designation does not even exist.

– The proposed site is adjacent to an artificial watercourse channel and not within the watercourse. The existing channel will continue to function and water conservation in the area would not be significantly affected.

– The valley bed, as shown in a number of published photographs, is not located within the proposed site.

– All proposed structures and parking facilities are to be constructed within the development boundaries. The rest of the site which lies ODZ will not be built up.

– The site cannot be considered as virgin open land.

– A Traffic Impact Study was by carried out by the applicant’s consultant and approved by Transport Malta,” the MEPA statement concluded.

Earliler this week the NGOs Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Ramblers Association of Malta, Din l-Art Helwa, Friends of the Earth (Malta), Malta Organic Agriculture Movement, NatureTrust Malta and the Gozo University Group said in a statement “that they were concerned about the number of questionable recommendations for approval of applications being issued by the MEPA Major Projects Unit. This includes the application for a supermarket on virgin land at Xewkija valley.”

The environment groups ask “why it is necessary to use unbuilt land in a valley where runoff water from more than a quarter of Gozo collects, when empty premises are available in the immediate vicinity. This area lies right next to an ECO-Gozo scheduled water conservation site.”

The NGOs maintained that this site between two main roads, Mgarr Road and St. Leonard Street, is unsuitable for a large supermarket due to the fact that constant heavy traffic from Xaghra and Nadur to Victoria runs through the access road to the project, St Leonard Street.

“Due to the project’s tight layout,” the NGOS continued, “trailers entering or exiting the supermarket will need to manoeuvre several times into oncoming traffic – blocking traffic and increasing the risk of accidents. This application has been recommended for approval notwithstanding the fact that a professional traffic impact assessment has not been carried out. The NGOs maintain that it is unacceptable to approve such a permit in principle and ask for such studies later, as has been known to happen.”

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