Update: The environment groups Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar (FAA), Friends of the Earth Malta, Gozo University Group, Malta Organic Agriculture Movement, Nature Trust Malta and Ramblers’ Association of Malta said in a statement today that they would like to highlight the fact that the application to construct a Lidl supermarket on unbuilt fields in the Xewkija Valley is due to be decided tomorrow Friday.

“The decision on this case was deferred in spite of the fact that members of MEPA’s Environment and Planning Commission found that the site was too small to accommodate an outlet this size, with adequate parking and maneuvering space.

“Still a professional traffic safety audit has not taken place even though EU regulations require such an audit for such a public structure, especially since trailers and customers’ vehicles will enter and exit the store head-on into oncoming vehicles. This will obviously create confusion and danger, considering the continuous flow of traffic on this busy main road which carries all traffic between Victoria, Nadur and Xaghra,” the NGOs said.

At the last hearing, FAA said that it “also raised the point that MEPA regulations recommend that impact retail assessment is carried out for the opening of large supermarkets such as this one in Gozo, however this was ignored by the MEPA EPC board, in spite of the fact that this supermarket will have a significant impact both on other retail outlets in Gozo and on local residents, especially elderly residents, who will be most affected by the closure of small local grocers.

“Most importantly, registered objectors were not informed of the submission of new plans, as is their legal right.”

The six environment groups said that they “have always maintained that open agricultural land should not be built upon when empty buildings are available, alternatively by demolishing disused or dilapidated structures in urban areas. This was also raised by the EPC board which also pointed out that the Local Plan guidelines for this area do not include retail outlets.”

The proposed site on the way to Victoria is a highly visible valley with Xaghra hill as a backdrop. “What ruins the environment also ruins Gozo’s tourism potential, and must at all costs be avoided.”

The NGOs concluded the statement by saying that “MEPA has already blighted Malta with past mistaken decisions, as we have recently seen in the cases of Wied il-Ghasel and the Madliena Ridge project.

“Since MEPA maintains that these past permits cannot be revoked, let us not repeat such mistakes. Building a supermarket in Xewkija valley next to an ECO-Gozo water catchment area, instead of in existing empty building, violates the principles of the National Environment Plan and every tenet of sustainability: environmental, social and economic.

“The outcome of this application will indicate whether all the talk of sustainability and Eco-Gozo is to remain talk, or to become a genuine political commitment.”

Update: The developers of the Lidl supermarket in Xewkija have responded by stating “that the section relating to the Traffic Impact study was not correctly reported by the NGOs.”

They said that study was “carried out professionally and was also approved by Transport Malta.”

The devlopers concluded, “it is to be pointed out that the traffic flows which go through Triq San Leonardo are far well below those of Triq L-Imgarr. In fact it has been proven that in view of the physical road capacities of Triq San Leonardo the road will be operating well within its capacity. The entrance and exit point of the development has adequate visibility for vehicles to go in and out of the development. Furthermore the number of trips which will be generated by the proposed supermarket compare well to the on site parking provision.”

Photo shows – “The landscape that is to be ruined by the setting up of a large Lidl supermarket in the area of the bushes in the centre of the photo,” – NGOs.

Permalink: MEPA to decide on Lidl supermarket for Xewkija on Friday