Ta' Qali: A place for people

The concert by Andrea Bocelli last month was a night to remember for some 7,000 persons. The recently-erected tent at Ta' Qali was the venue for this much-awaited event.

For many people, Ta' Qali is associated with recreation. It is an open space with green areas where people can relax and enjoy themselves with their families. Ta' Qali National Park provides a formal garden with some useful facilities, including a Greek theatre and a viewing platform.

Over the past 15 years, the upgrading and embellishment of Ta' Qali took place with renewed vigour, with hundreds of trees being planted and further sections of the National Park being laid out.

In 2000, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority prepared and approved an Action Plan for Ta' Qali. The plan provides for further development of the park which is compatible with its recreational role. One of the policies allows for the development of a convention centre on a site immediately adjoining the football stadium.

Twelve months ago, the government was made aware of a need for a site for a Convention and Exhibition Centre (CEC), as the lease on the Naxxar Trade Fair Grounds was due to expire. The Trade Fair Corporation strove to identify an alternative site. No site, however, could be identified which satisfied the space and logistical requirements of a trade fair while concurrently satisfying planning requirements. Finding a single sizeable site in public ownership was the first major hurdle to overcome.

Following various discussions, the government felt that the best solution would be to have the CEC at Ta' Qali, on the site that was earmarked in the Ta' Qali Action Plan.

There are strong reasons why such a centre should be located at Ta' Qali. Extensive parking is readily available primarily because of the football stadium. The staging of mass activities, whether for sports, for fairs or other reasons, ensures that the parking facilities are used intensely, thus making more efficient use of land. This is very much in line with the Structure Plan objectives.

Ta' Qali is centrally located and hence has a better catchment than any other alternative location. The bulk of the Maltese population live within less than half an hour travel time from Ta' Qali. For mass activities, a central location and a good catchment are crucial. A well-developed arterial network around Ta' Qali is an added advantage and allows for less traffic congestion and delays before and after a major event. The Ta' Qali site provides for greater convenience for users and improved viability for the CEC facilities.

The site is not immediately adjoining residential areas. A major event therefore does not cause problems to nearby residents due to noise, parking or traffic generation. For the Ta' Qali site, there are some concerns related to possible traffic generation through Attard, but these can be resolved by appropriate traffic management and/or improvements to the road network around Ta' Qali. The required measures to minimise impact on Attard are also provided for in the Action Plan.

During the public consultation on the amendments to the Ta' Qali Action Plan, concerns were expressed on the visual impact the development will have on an area characterised by open space. These concerns are fully appreciated, but are outweighed by the need to have a good convention and exhibition centre and the impossibility to find an alternative site that matches the many advantages that a Ta' Qali site offers.

Another concern about the trade fair relates to timeframes. The process of identifying a suitable developer (through the call for proposals) and the eventual construction is time consuming and there is no guarantee that the process will give a positive outcome. There is the risk therefore that the trade fair would be without a venue for a year or two. Although the trade fair is a commercial event, over the years it has acquired a social dimension.

The private sector came up with the idea of importing a large tent within which large events could be staged. Although it is a commercial venture, this initiative can address social and broader economic needs - hence the interest of the government in supporting the setting up of a temporary large tent. It provides a venue where a highly popular annual event - the annual trade fair - can be staged until a purpose-built CEC is developed. Large conferences taking thousands of people can be held within it. It is also a venue where high calibre cultural events can be staged. Certain types of concerts can only happen if there is an audience of several thousand people.

It must be emphasised that the tent is a temporary structure and is to be removed once the purpose-built CEC is built on the allocated site.

The experience of the first weeks of operation of the tent has confirmed that the government was right in supporting the venture. The tent was the venue of a Thomas Cook conference with thousands of delegates - a conference that might have gone elsewhere had the venue not been available. Andrea Bocelli's concert, as well, was only made possible in December because the right venue was available.

In the last days, the government issued a call for proposals for a permanent CEC. The call is based on the parameters as set out in the Ta' Qali Action Plan.

The CEC and other proposals in the Ta' Qali Action Plan will further reinforce the area's role as a place for people.

Mr Pullicino is Minister for Rural Affairs and the Environment.