Mepa rejects application for trade fair at Ta' Qali

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority yesterday rejected an application by the Trade Fairs Corporation to develop new fair grounds on a stretch of land in Ta' Qali lying close to Mosta and Attard.

The corporation had applied to develop a site which forms part of the Flower Power Garden Centre where it planned to move the national trade fair grounds in view of the termination of the Naxxar premises' lease in 2007.

But during a public hearing yesterday morning, the Mepa board rejected the project on the grounds that the site was outside the development zone and that the land in question was never earmarked for trade fair grounds in the Ta' Qali Action Plan approved by the government in February 2000.

The applicants' case that the proposed complex would include multipurpose use of halls for sports and entertainment facilities and landscaping works was not sufficient to convince the board. The proposal had been for an area of 135,000 square metres, which is double the area covered by the Naxxar grounds.

Presenting his arguments, the case officer handling the application said that while the action plan called for an overall comprehensive plan for the area, the proposed development only covered half the area committed by the policy.

The policy also specifies that retail in the area is permissible on a small scale, as opposed to the large-scale retail site being proposed by the applicants.

An objection raised by the officer had to do with the impact on the residential areas close by, in that permitted developments "should have no significant adverse impacts by way of noise on adjacent users or residential areas. Negative impacts during trade fair operation times may affect the immediate northern residential area."

One problematic issue highlighted by the case officer was that the proposal called for less parking spaces than those available for the Naxxar trade fair grounds, and that access to the site through Duramblat Road to the north would be problematic.

The action plan also specified that any development should promote the land use for sports, arts and culture, particularly those which would be of high national interest attracting many people. Most of the proposal, the officer said, was for retail facilities and not sports.

The officer said the applicants had been notified that their proposal was against the Ta' Qali action plan in September 2004.

In sum, the case officer recommended refusal because the proposed use was "totally contrary to the objectives of this policy, that is recreation facilities and sports, art or culture". Moreover, a comprehensive plan for the whole site had not been submitted.

Architect Edward Bencini, who spoke on behalf of the applicants, said that Mepa should postpone the decision on this site so that a traffic impact study and an environment impact assessment would be carried out on this area and on another area close to the National Stadium together. Mr Bencini said this would determine which would be the best site for the development of the new trade fair grounds.

The Times had reported on July 12 that the government favoured a site adjacent to the stadium for the new trade fair rather than the site being proposed by the corporation.

This newspaper quoted a source close to the Office of the Prime Minister saying that "it was very clear Mepa will not approve" the development in question.

Mr Bencini said an EIA on both sites would lead the authority to an "informed decision".

Mepa chairman Andrew Calleja said a postponement was not possible at this stage as the board had to decide on "this particular application". He added that the corporation could withdraw the application instead.

Mr Bencini also quoted a letter he had sent to Mepa objecting to what he called the "guillotine" process adopted by the authority on this application.

The architect agreed that Ta' Qali was the best location for a new trade fair.

"The argument that the land in question was never earmarked for trade fair grounds is irrelevant. Where in all of the Maltese Islands, and in any planning document, has the site for a trade fair been defined?" asked Mr Bencini.

He argued that Mepa itself and the government had directed the corporation to consider other sites in Ta' Qali, which meant that Ta' Qali was considered a suitable site for the new trade fair grounds.

Nationalist MP David Agius, who had been opposing the proposed development and who turned up for the public hearing yesterday, told The Times he was satisfied with the authority's decision.

Mr Agius said he favoured the development of new trade fair grounds close to the national stadium where a major part of the land belonged to the government and where ample space for parking and trade fair facilities were available.