Work to start on modern cemetery for Nadur

A long standing need of Gozo's Nadur parish and community will finally be fulfilled after the Malta Environment and Planning Authority recently granted a full development permit for a cemetery.

The facility will complement the existing cemetery which is surrounded by residential buildings and, therefore, cannot be extended to meet demand.

Excavation work on the new site in Ghajn Qasab Street is expected to start shortly.

The new cemetery, which will have over 600 graves, was designed by architect Edward Scerri and includes a chapel and extensive landscaping.

Mr Scerri said the chapel would be the focal point of the project, with all the graves seemingly radiating from the centre of the chapel.

Two central passages flanked by trees will fork out of the chapel area, linking the seven levels of the cemetery. The graves will be surrounded by a large variety of trees and flowering plants. After the applicants obtained an outline development permit for the project, the Planning Directorate had recommended refusal in view of the inadequacies of the proposed development and the negative visual impact. Another issue was that the proposed site was outside the development zone.

The directorate had also agreed with a recommendation by the Natural Heritage Panel that the chapel should be reduced in size.

The new permit was approved following modifications and various reports, one of which certified that the aquifer would not be affected by the development.

The Mepa board also took into consideration that the number of graves proposed and the population of Nadur was comparable to other cemeteries in Gozo.

The project had been harshly criticised by Alternattiva Demokratika which said the cemetery was ill-conceived, unplanned and unjustified.

It said no party had in any way shown or required anyone to show that a cemetery of the proposed dimensions was required.