'Progress' in talks on crafts village permit

Parliamentary Secretary Edwin Vassallo has spoken of "substantial progress" being made in talks he is holding with the Malta Environment and Planning Authority on the conditions attached to the permit for the redevelopment of the Ta' Qali crafts village.

"I am very optimistic that the outstanding problems will be resolved soon. The talks are going very well and the project remains firmly on track," Mr Vassallo told The Times yesterday.

He said the signing of promise of sale agreements with the tenants of the crafts village would now be taken in hand. That process would be followed later this year with the issue of a call for tender for contractors to build the new crafts village.

This, Mr Vassallo said, would be a public-private partnership where the contractors would meet the costs of building the infrastructural services but then enjoy the 65-year lease of 25 tumolo of land adjacent to the crafts village, which they would be able to develop for value added activities. They would also receive the payment from the tenants for the building of their huts.