Update with further information from MEPA – MEPA has said that the Government has directed the Authority to undertake a Partial Local Plan Review of the Gozo and Comino Local Plan which was approved in August, 2006, and as amended in 2011 through a preceding Partial Review, for the Gozo General Hospital site.

This review is required to update the planning policy guidance to facilitate the upgrading of the health services and health infrastructure overall, to achieve a higher quality of health services by Government for the general public and to specifically improve this institution and provide for more space.

The Authority said that the review is therefore needed to permit the implementation of redevelopment projects intended to achieve these broad goals for the health related services sector in Gozo.

The Government said that the objective for this review is: “To establish an updated development framework for the Gozo General Hospital Site, Victoria.”

Besides being the sole and predominant provider of health related facilities and services in Gozo, the General Hospital in Victoria, has essentially retained the same layout for decades leaving certain aspects of its infrastructure and facilities inappropriate for today’s needs, MEPA said.

The proposed policies which are being issued for public consultation include the consideration of both lateral and vertical extensions within the site.

“While the proposed policy considers the take up of certain open areas located inside the Hospital Grounds for the addition of Health and Community Services, including Health Tourism, the policy also clearly points out that attempts should be made to minimise this take-up for a healthy ‘open to built’ ratio to be retained.”

The Authority added that where the height of buildings is concerned, the policy will allow for new and existing buildings to be built higher than the existing building height provided that there is sufficient justification for specific health facility improvement needs and the assurance of quality design.

“Any height extensions will still be subject to visual assessment and simulation studies during the development application stage to ascertain that proposed heights do not create an unacceptable visual impact.”

To limit, as far as possible, the visual intrusiveness, proposals must have varying overall building heights to avoid unacceptable massing and by receding along the ridge edge.

“These Partial Review amendments result primarily from the need to update the local plan policy framework relating to a primary site in government ownership in the approved Gozo and Comino Local Plan (2006), as amended in 2011, namely the Gozo General Hospital Site.”

MEPA said that this Partial Review will allow for the further consolidation and improvement to the existing institution through centralisation of services, to facilitate their access to the general public and also to avoid the need to develop new health services elsewhere in Gozo, including the unwarranted use of fresh land, considering that the present Hospital site is located within the development zone.

“It is highlighted that expansion beyond the current site boundary of the existing Hospital is restricted due to the fact that the hospital boundary is exactly at the edge of the Development Zone (DZ) and also on the edge of a ridge. This restricts expansion requirements towards further intensification within the existing site boundary.”

The Authority said that in the interest of providing a dynamic policy framework, a number of pending issues need to be resolved through this Partial Review including the issues related to improving current shortcomings in the health infrastructure on site e.g. hospital access improvement needs both pedestrian and vehicular, hospital patient access to emergency, helipad requirements among other matters.

“These major requirements have a bearing on the provision of a direct and vital service to the general public, thereby justifying this exercise being followed by the Authority as directed by Government in the public interest.”

Therefore MEPA said that it is inviting the public and all interested parties to submit representations on the draft revisions to the Gozo General Hospital Site Policy Framework indicated in this document.

The Partial Review Gozo Hospital Policy Document is available for download here.

Submissions should be addressed to:

The Director of Planning

Partial Review of the Gozo and Comino Local Plan

The Gozo General Hospital Site Policy Framework

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority,

St. Francis Ravelin,

Floriana, CMR 01

or on the email address: gozohospital@mepa.org.mt

Submissions should be received not later than Friday, the 4th of March 2016.

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