Moviment Graffitti welcomes the long-awaited review of the Fuel Service Station Policy for public consultation. The organisation is satisfied that the pressure applied through several direct actions, supported by many other NGOs and echoed by much of the public, has had its desired effect. This shows that when people band together, positive change can be achieved.
Moviment Graffitti is cautiously optimistic about the changes proposed, nonetheless noting several points of concern which the organisation shall be raising in its feedback to the Planning Authority (PA) during the public consultation period.
Of particular concern is that although the pending applications are to be decided on the basis of the proposed policy once this comes into effect, there is no mention of the applications due to be heard in the period up to the approval of the new policy. There is no sense in proposing a change while allowing applications already submitted to continue being decided on according to the old policy. It is also worth noting that it may take many, many months before any changes are effected. Therefore, Moviment Graffitti calls on the PA to halt any and all applications for fuel service stations until the proposed policy comes into effect.
The draft revised policy out for review features several improvements over the one currently in effect. The options for take up of ODZ land are significantly more limited. However, some points are of concern. The proposed policy requires no limit on size and no minimum distance between fuel stations, including those in Areas of Containment. It is to be highlighted that Areas of Containment are ODZ sites. This may open the door to massive complexes of commercial services for cars, using the excuse of dispensing fuel to justify the take up of large parcels of land. Moviment Graffitti maintains that fuel stations should be limited in size, with other commercial activities related to car servicing operating under a commercial policy. The current and proposed policies both allow this abuse.
The proposed policy allows for the upgrading of facilities for ancillary services. This seems to open the door for fuel stations to expand for reasons unrelated to the fuel dispensing function, again providing a loophole that can be exploited.
The fact that ODZ land remains available for development, notwithstanding the increased constraints in that regard, continues to devalue the ODZ classification. Moviment Graffitti stresses that ODZ should remain ODZ, and land already committed should not continue to be degraded, but should be returned to its natural state or used for agriculture. A similar loophole has led to the loss of a lot of ODZ land for residential purposes. We can expect the same if the proposed policy goes through. To err is human, to persist is criminal.
Moviment Graffitti urges the public to submit their thoughts to the PA throughout the consultation period to close potential loopholes and stop all pending applications until the new policy comes into effect. Details on this will be provided on our social media in the coming days.
Il-Fuel Stations Policy riveduta tkun pass ‘il quddiem jekk jitneħħew il-lakuni
Il-Moviment Graffitti jilqa’ r-reviżjoni tant mistennija tal-Fuel Service Station Policy għall-konsultazzjoni pubblika. Il-Moviment sodisfatt li l-pressjoni li għamel permezz ta’ diversi azzjonijiet diretti, bl-appoġġ ta’ ħafna organizzazzjonijiet non-governattivi oħrajn kif ukoll ta’ parti kbira mill-pubbliku ġenerali, ħalliet l-effett mixtieq: xhieda li meta l-poplu jingħaqad, tista’ tinkiseb bidla għall-aħjar.
Il-Moviment Graffitti huwa ottimist dwar il-bidliet proposti, għalkemm fl-istess waqt iżomm ċertu kawtela. Hemm bosta punti li l-Moviment huwa mħasseb dwarhom u li se jkun qed iressaq fir-rispons tiegħu lill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar (PA) matul il-perjodu ta’ konsultazzjoni pubblika.
Graffitti jinsabu partikolarment imħassba dwar il-fatt li, għalkemm l-applikazzjonijiet pendenti għandhom jiġu deċiżi skont il-policy proposta ladarba din tidħol fis-seħħ, ma ntqal xejn dwar applikazzjonijiet li għandhom jinstemgħu fil-perjodu minn issa sakemm tiġi approvata l-policy il-ġdida. Hija illoġika l-proposta għal bidla jekk l-applikazzjonijiet li diġà ġew mitfuħa se jibqgħu jiġu deċiżi skont il-policy l-antika. Ta’ min jinnota wkoll li jistgħu jgħaddu ħafna u ħafna xhur qabel ma jidħlu dawn il-bidliet fis-seħħ; għalhekk, il-Moviment Graffitti jitlob lill-PA twaqqaf kull applikazzjoni għall-pompi tal-petrol sakemm il-policy proposta tidħol fis-seħħ.
L-abbozz tal-policy riveduta li ġie maħruġ għall-konsultazzjoni jinkludi fih ħafna titjib meta mqabbel mal-policy li hemm fis-seħħ bħalissa. L-opportunitajiet għat-teħid ta’ art ODZ huma ħafna aktar limitati.
Madankollu, ċerti punti huma inkwetanti. Il-policy proposta ma titlob ebda limitu fuq il-qies u l-ebda distanza minima bejn pompa u oħra, inkluż dawk li jkunu fl-hekk imsejħa Areas of Containment. Ta’ min jenfasizza li l-Areas of Containment huma siti ODZ, u dan xorta jista’ jwassal għal kumplessi enormi ta’ servizzi kummerċjali għall-karozzi, bl-iskuża tal-bejgħ tal-petrol, sabiex ikun iġġustifikat it-teħid ta’ medda kbira ta’ art.
Il-Moviment Graffitti jisħaq li l-pompi tal-petrol għandu jkollhom qies limitat, filwaqt li attivitajiet kummerċjali oħrajn li għandhom x’jaqsmu mas-servizzi tal-vetturi joperaw taħt policy kummerċjali. Il-policy kurrenti kif ukoll dik proposta it-tnejn jippermettu dan l-abbuż.
Il-policy proposta se tippermetti l-aġġornament ta’ faċilitajiet għal servizzi anċillari. Dan jidher li se jagħti lok sabiex il-pompi tal-petrol ikunu jistgħu jespandu għal raġunijiet li m’għandhomx x’jaqsmu mat-tqassim tal-petrol, u b’hekk tinħoloq lakuna oħra li tista’ tiġi sfruttata.
Il-fatt li l-art ODZ tibqa’ disponibbli għall-iżvilupp, minkejja ż-żieda fir-restrizzjonijiet f’dan ir-rigward, ikompli jnaqqas il-valur tad-deżinjazzjoni tal-art ODZ. Il-Moviment Graffitti itenni li l-art ODZ għandha tibqa’ ODZ, u l-art li diġà ngħatat għall-iżvilupp m’għandhiex tibqa’ tiġi degradata iżda għandha titreġġa’ lura għall-istat naturali tagħha jew tintuża għall-agrikoltura. Lakuna simili għal din wasslet għat-telf ta’ ħafna art ODZ għal skopijiet residenzjali; nistgħu nistennew l-istess ħaġa jekk il-policy proposta tgħaddi mingħajr emendi. F’dan il-każ, ikollna nfakkru li wieħed jista’ jieħu żball, iżda l-persistenza huwa att kriminali.
Il-Moviment Graffitti jħeġġeġ lill-pubbliku sabiex jagħti l-ħsibijiet tiegħu lill-PA tul iż-żmien tal-konsultazzjoni sabiex jingħalqu l-lakuni potenzjali u jitwaqqfu l-applikazzjonijiet kollha pendenti sakemm il-policy il-ġdida tidħol fis-seħħ. Il-Moviment ser jagħti aktar dettalji lill-pubbliku permezz tal-midja soċjali fil-ġranet li ġejjin.
