13 comments so far.MEPA approves development of Lidl Supermarket at Xewkija
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This afternoon the MEPA Environment and Planning Commission approved an application for the construction of a Lidl supermarket and associated facilities including surface parking at Ta’ Zejta, St Leonard Street, Xewkija.
On Monday Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar again highlighted the case saying that “MEPA was contradicting its own policies.”
The decision on the application was orginally due on the 1st of June last year, but MEPA’s Environment and Planning Commission instead, referred the planning application to the Directorate. It said that “because of the square footage size of the proposed supermarket a retail impact assessment needed to be carried out to address safety issues for vehicles entering and leaving the site.” With the main concern the fact that large refrigerated trucks transporting supplies to the German supermarket chain may find it diffictult to manoeuvre inside the site, which would create extra problems.
The supermarket will be constructed on a 4,800 square metre site. 70% is inside the development limits of Xewkija Industrial Estate, with a triangular area remaining outside the development zone. The structure itself will be inside the development limits, with landscaping making up the area outside the development zone.
The vote was three in favour and one against.
I am a foreign resident in Gozo and I am be happy for my gozitan friends, that Lidl comes now to Gozo and the people have not go to Malta for that and spend a lot of money for the petrol and the ferry. Gozitans are not “second hand people” now!!
Yes course how absolutly right you are Ulrike Kneihsl , we the residents from the Netherlands and the United kingdom do agree100%, we do not need to rehouse* to Malta or do our shopping in Malta in the future, we are here to add to the economy of this beautiful ilsand and the nice people of Gozo. God Bless You All.
All the negative reaction from some Gozitans who are only thinking of themselves are in actual fact shooting themselves in the foot. Gozo need competition and this German supers store know ALL over the world are exactly what Gozo needs, why look a gift horse in the mouth my friends? is below comprehension, people need jobs, and Lidl is offering such opportunities to your unemployed, so please sceptics think before you leap eh?
Pieter and Ulrike, where do you think the money you spend at Lidl is going? Most of it will go back to Germany NOT into the Gozitan economy. Shouldn’t you be supporting the local shops, owned and run by local families, rather than a foreign-owned enterprise? Lidl’s arrival in Gozo is not all positive news – Lidl has been criticised in Germany and other countries for allegedly abusing workers’ rights, among other things. What attracted you to Gozo in the first place? Wasn’t one of the reasons because it was free of huge ‘euro-chains’ such as Lidl?
And of course neither of you give a damn about the fact that more ODZ agricultural land will be used up in order to build this just so long as you can save a few cents on your bananas!
By all means bring a Lidl store to Gozo as it will be good for the people but why bend over backwards to break the rules in order to do it? This is not about MEPA being nice to the Gozitan people by giving them a Lidl store it is about MEPA handing out favours to friends of Gonzi before the election. All decisions regarding developments should be suspended until after the election because at the moment it is nothing more than the usual sell off by the most corrupt authority in Malta.
The tourists (if there are any left by the time Lidl opens) are going to wonder why they left their home countries when they see a huge big, gaudy Lidl supermarket welcoming them at the entrance to the ancient city of Rabat with the Citadel in the background! Eco-Gozo at its best!
I have nothing against Lidl and enjoy shopping there, but why-oh-why do the greedy, stupid powers that be give permission for it to be built right in the middle of the tourist route. They may as well have given permission for it to be built on the damaged fossils at Dwejra.
Thank God I have no children who could say “But Mummy, why didn’t you object?”.
MEPA and GonziPN you should be ashamed of yourselves.
I agree Lesley, why are they doing this to Gozo?
Hans, the only effect Lidl will have on the Gozo economy will be negative with profits repatriated back to Germany, it will not increase employment, and competition? , how is the village shop supposed to compete with a behemoth that owns 10,000 large supermarkets.
There is a hardware store in our village that I am sure has parts for the knights armour tucked away in a back room. It is run by two old gents and the service is unique, talk about express lane:), but those that have visited the shop just once, never forget. Life is enriched by variety, dulled by sameness.
Those of us that recognize Gozo as a first-class place to live were attracted by the unique village community, with values that have been lost elsewhere. This community knitted together with Churches and village shops provides a very rich lifestyle, and the addition of a large supermarket only starts Gozo on the consumer autobahn, it adds nothing to the quality of life.
Gozo needs jobs, small industry, something that will generate income for the locals and the local economy, not something that takes money away.
Have you actually been to the site? The photo is NOT showing the right site. The actual site is behind a petrol station NOT a GREEN AREA . Check your facts !!!
The ‘actual site’ encroaches into ODZ land by 30%. Those are the facts. If you were adding a little extension to your home and it encroached 30% onto ODZ land do you think it would be allowed or would MEPA stop you from building?
@Mr Tyrell
The chain, which already has five supermarkets in Malta, bought a 4,800-square-metre site, 70 per cent of which falls within the development limits of the Xewkija industrial estate, and the remaining triangular area is outside development.
The supermarket will take up about 50 per cent of the area and the scheduled part will have “soft landscaping” through planting scattered trees
Yes of course it will Mario. Just you go on believing that. Try explaining why they felt it necessary to ‘buy’ a 4,800-square-metre site, if indeed they did buy it rather than lease it, instead of using the old factory site opposite and cleaning the area up a bit?
Mr.James Tyrrell*- if you are so knowledgeable about Mepa’s work . why not apply for a position with Mepa better still the go into Politics and then you can make your own rules.
Wendy if more people were ‘ knowledgeable’ about MEPA’s work they wouldn’t get away with as much as they do today. The unfortunate truth is that most people don’t give a damn so long as they get their 30 pieces of silver.