The Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) has launched for public consultation a proposed policy guidance document for shooting ranges.

This guidance which comes as a result of the significant increase in the popularity of the both clay pigeon and target shooting and the demand for shooting range facilities with international recognised standards will establish clear planning parameters through which planning applications can be assessed and regulated.

MEPA said that the proposed framework establishes two policies, one for outdoor and another for indoor shooting ranges. The policies contain a range of criteria against which proposals for shooting ranges should be assessed.

"These criteria are primarily grouped into two categories, one being locational requirements and constraints, including environmental characteristics of the site, which set out broad guidelines on preferred locations and scale of the facilities and the second being the general design requirements such as massing, layout, access, infrastructure and landscaping."

The policy also highlights particular locations which will be considered favourably for the construction of outdoor shooting ranges. These include sites already committed for such a land use (having a valid development planning permit or a Malta Police licence if range was in operation before 1992), existing military installations, disused quarries or sites in their near proximity not identified for other purposes in approved development plans and derelict land excluding land subject to recent degradation.

Such sites cannot be on the side of a valley or a valley watercourse, on or near a ridge or where the development would break an undisturbed skyline or significantly intrude a particular panoramic view.

When it comes to Indoor Target Shooting Ranges, the proposed policy document considers favourable their construction within primary or secondary town centres, as part of an existing or designated sports centre or as part of the national range complex.

The Authority said that "in such cases, the applicant is requested to submit an assessment of the noise impacts generated by the proposed development. This assessment must include provisions to ensure that the proposed development adopts identified mitigation measures."

The proposed policy document together with the public submissions received by the Authority during the initial 2 week public consultation may be downloaded from the MEPA website www.mepa.org.mt/public-consultation.

The Authority invites interested stakeholders and the public to forward any submissions related to this new proposed policy document to the Director of Planning, MEPA, Shooting Ranges Policy, St. Francis Ravelin, Floriana or through email address: shootingranges.policy@mepa.org.mt. Submissions must be received by the Authority not later than Friday 22nd January 2016.

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