Land assigned for industrial parks

The House of Representatives yesterday started debating a motion to partially revise the Structure Plan so as to assign land for industrial parks. The parks will be used by garage industries.

Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino explained that the new sites are outside areas currently designated for development near Mellieha close to the reservoir, in a former quarry near Mgarr, at t'Alla w Ommu hill in Naxxar, at a former batching plant near Ghaxaq, at Ta' Maggi in Zabbar and Tal-Barmil, Xewkija.

He said that the new sites, totalling 90 tumoli, were separate from sites for industry already designated by the Structure Plan. The industrial parks were projected to accommodate up to 680 units.

He said the setting up of the industrial parks would enable the relocation of garage industries from built-up areas, where they often caused inconvenience to neighbours. These included mechanics, carpenters and those who produced items using metal.

Micro-enterprises were important for the economy, employing 22,000 people. It was therefore important that land was specifically designated for this purpose, Mr Pullicino said.

The setting up of the industrial parks would benefit the environment by bringing about the transfer of activity away from residential areas and it would also enable micro-enterprises to grow.

Mr Pullicino said several micro-enterprises had been subject to stop notices by Mepa because of the noise and other inconveniences caused to neighbours. Others had started to operate without a permit. Now such operators could operate more easily in the parks.

The minister recalled that the designation of the sites followed a long consultation process. Up to 75 sites had been offered for this use by private owners, 29 sites considered and whittled down to six after considerations such as geographical spread, noise and the impact on arable land. Two of the sites were government-owned.

The government was acting to ensure that the newly designated land was specifically used for its purpose and there would be no land hoarding. Where the designated sites were privately owned, agreements on the use of the land had already been reached with the owners. It was being laid down that each site would be developed comprehensively at one go, including infrastructural services, roads and pavements. The sites had to be developed within a year of the granting of development permits. Developers would be responsible for maintenance. The government would be able to intervene if the sites were not developed according to contract conditions.

The two government-owned sites would be allocated as a whole after a call for tenders. The persons winning the contracts would be bound by the same contract conditions as in the agreements with the owners of the private sites.

Mr Pullicino said the government had decided to carry out this partial revision of the Structure Plan, rather than await the conclusion of the whole revision, because the setting up of the industrial parks would make for job creation and a better environment.

Roderick Galdes (MLP) said the opposition backed the setting up of the industrial parks but he could not understand why the total revision of the Structure Plan, started some seven years ago, had still not been concluded. The government needed to take the required decisions and set direction for the process to be concluded.

Mr Galdes said it was important that the developers found the necessary government support to ensure that the sites were developed according to EU standards and would not take on the appearance of a permanent building site.

How much would it cost the garage industries, including those owned by part-timers, to move to the new industrial parks? Would there be incentives and subsidies to encourage the relocation of garage industries away from residential areas?

Mr Galdes said much time had been lost in the designation of these industrial parks because the government had refused to intervene in the property market. He was glad that the government was not intervening. Similar intervention and direction was needed with regard to the designation of sites for scrapyards, for example. As far as he knew, not one scrapyard was licensed.

Mr Galdes said that in designating the new sites the government should also have included activities such as open storage used by hauliers.

He said a constant problem being faced by SMEs, and, indeed by other Mepa clients, was inconsistency in decision-making by the various sections of the authority, with different decisions being taken for identical development proposals. And reconsiderations were taking far too long, discouraging developers.

Turning to the site selection exercise for the industrial parks, Mr Galdes asked whether sufficient consideration had been taken to submissions during the consultation process. For example, was it true that the site near t'Alla w Ommu hill was suitable for agriculture?

Unfortunately, not enough publicity was given to the consultation process ahead of the public meetings, so that most of the comments were made by would-be developers rather than the public.

Had a section of Hal Far been considered for use as an industrial park for SMEs?

Mr Galdes said the opposition agreed with this motion but the government needed to move on with the complete revision of the Structure Plan. And it was important that local plans also reflected the socio-economic realities of the areas they covered.

Joe Falzon (PN) said this motion was timely and would enable SMEs to grow and create more jobs.

He welcomed the conditions attached to the development of the sites. Although the conditions may be seen as being tough, the government was trying to ensure these would be model developments for the benefit of the garage industries and their clients.

The Nationalist MP also praised the way how the sites were identified, saying they were far enough from nearby residents so as not to cause any inconvenience but close enough for clients who were used to the services of the garage industries in built-up areas.

He observed that the tenants of the industrial parks would enjoy various advantages, such as the waiving of the sewage fee, the road contribution fee and the infrastructural development fee, although they would pay Mepa tariffs.

Mr Falzon referred to the remarks by Mr Galdes, saying the industrial parks could be used for open storage. On the processing of development applications, he said the Mepa process should always be transparent and reasons should always be given when an application was refused.

He said the total review of the Structure Plan was a tough exercise since, at a time of rapid change, it was not easy to project land use over a period of 20 years.

Other speakers will be reported tomorrow.