Moviment Graffitti urges the Planning Authority not to approve more projects tied to shopping complexes, disguised as petrol stations that are not only unnecessary but are also built on ODZ land. Moviment Graffitti reiterates the point that such applications should not even be discussed before the policy regulating petrol stations is reviewed. The revised policy was published by ERA a few weeks ago. However, the PA has not yet approved this policy review and it has not come into effect. It does not make any sense to process pending applications on the basis of a policy that the same authorities are admitting is defective, irrespective of whether such applications are going to be accepted or refused.
The applications that are being discussed today involve the building of two large projects, one in tal-Balal, San Ġwann and the other in Żebbuġ which include not only fuel stations, as they are being called, but also other facilities that are being proposed including shops and other services. These two projects should not be approved for many reasons such as the fact that there is no need for more projects of this type. In fact in both cases it is being proposed that the projects will be developed only a few hundred metres away from an existing petrol station. This apart from the impact on the environment and quality of life and the fact that many of these fuel stations are being build on ODZ land.
Moviment Graffitti hopes that the Planning Authority will realise the damage it is causing if it continues to take decisions similar to the ones it has already taken with regards to similar projects and will listen to the voices of all those who expressed their disapproval of these two projects which are both senseless and useless.
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Moviment Graffitti jħeġġeġ lill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar biex ma tkomplix tifga lil Malta bil-pompi tal-Petrol
Il-Moviment Graffitti jħeġġeġ lill- Awtorità tal-Ippjanar biex ma tapprovax iktar proġetti marbuta ma’ shopping complexes, taparsi pompi tal-petrol, li mhux biss m’hawnx bżonnhom, imma qed jinbnew fuq art ODZ. Il-Moviment Graffitti jisħaq li applikazzjonijiet bħal dawn m’għandhomx jiġu diskussi qabel ma tkun riveduta l-policy dwar il-pompi tal-petrol. Din ir-reviżjoni ġiet ippubblikata xi ġimgħat ilu mill-ERA iżda għadha ma ġietx approvata mill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar, u għalhekk għadha ma daħlitx fis-seħħ. Ma jagħmilx sens li l-applikazzjonijiet pendenti jiġu deċizi abbażi ta’ policy li l-awtoritajiet stess qed jammettu li hija difettuża, irrispettivament mill-fatt jekk dawn hux se jiġu approvati jew miċħuda.
L-applikazzjonijiet li ser jiġu diskussi llum jinvolvu l-bini ta’ proġetti kbar, wieħed f’tal-Balal, San Ġwann u ieħor f’Ħaż-Żebbuġ li jinkludu mhux biss pompi tal-petrol, kif qed jiġu msejħa, imma faċilitajiet oħra li qegħdin jiġu proposti inkluż ħwienet u servizzi oħra. Dawn iż-żewġ proġetti m’għandhomx jiġu approvati għal diversi raġunijiet fosthom għax m’hemmx bżonn aktar proġetti ta’ dan it-tip. Fil-fatt it-tnejn li huma qed jiġu proposti li jinbnew ftit mijiet ta’ metri biss il-bogħod minn pompi oħra. Dan apparti l-impatt fuq l-ambjent u fuq il-kwalità tal-ħajja u l-fatt li ħafna minn dawn il-pompi qed jinbnew fuq art ODZ.
Il-Moviment Graffitti jittama li l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar tirrealizza l-ħsara li qed tagħmel jekk tibqa` tieħu deċiżjonijiet bħal ma diġà ħadet fir-rigward ta’ proġetti simili u tisma’ l-vuċi ta’ dawk kollha li wrew in-nuqqas ta’ qbil tagħhom għal dawn iż-żewġ proġetti bla sens u bla bżonn.