Quarries reclamation

With reference to the article entitled "Three quarries to be reclaimed" (April 2) whereas it was reported that the Malta Environment and Planning Authority approved three applications by Charles Polidano for the reclamation of spent quarries in Mqabba and Qrendi, allow us to spell out the position taken by Qrendi local council regarding these applications.

First of all one must say that the local council is not against reclaiming quarries, especially if their reclamation will be to the benefit of agriculture. However, in this case this reclamation will be detrimental to residents living in Qrendi.

The works have been going on for approximately three weeks, long before the consultation meeting and approval by Mepa took place.

This was documented and forwarded to the authority by the local council in a dossier that included photographs showing trucks on their way to the quarries and dumping their waste, passing along the residential areas. All the signs to the site were already in place long before the consultation meeting. For this, the council received no official reply!

The council objected to the fact that for the duration of one-and-a-half years, approximately 200,000 movements will take place, and according to some "experts" all the trucks in and out will have to pass from Qrendi, which according to these "experts" is the best way around.

This is in addition to the normal day-to-day movements. Qrendi local council objected with the Mepa for any HGVs involved in this project using any one of the three residential streets that lead to Siggiewi Road (where the quarries are located), that is Mqabba Road, Triq il-Warda and Triq Santa Katerina.

This is to put the record straight.