Planning authority rejects Armier substation plans

The planning authority yesterday unanimously rejected a highly contested application to build a 40-square metre electricity substation in the pristine scheduled countryside of Armier, saying the development was “unjustified”.

Requested by Enemalta, the substation had been recommended for refusal because it would “further consolidate” the hundreds of illegal boathouses built on government land and continue to deteriorate the scenic value.

About 50 boathouse owners and families attended yesterday’s hearing as their spokesman, Tarcisio Barbara, reminded the Environment Planning Commission – headed by planning authority deputy chairman Sandra Magro – that they had been promised their land by the Prime Minister.

“Hundreds of boathouses have an electricity meter, which means they obtained it legally… Who will shoulder responsibility for appliances damaged by low voltage if there is no substation,” he asked.

Mr Barbara accused the environmental groups, which had spoken out strongly against the application, of depicting the development as one to build new boathouses instead of a substation.

“I didn’t expect the environmental groups to come out against the application,” he said.

Thousands of boathouse owners had received a personalised letter from the Prime Minister in 2008 promising not to demolish rooms built before 1992.

Before concluding to a round of applause from the boathouse owners, Mr Barbara urged the planning commission to approve the substation, saying the boathouses were “protected” through the Marfa action plan.

However, Mrs Magro reminded Mr Barbara that the action plan had not yet been approved and that the area was still outside scheme. “The configuration of the action plan might change. We don’t even know what the final plan will be like. We need to decide on the basis of the policies we have now and I don’t see any justification to build it,” she said. She also asked Enemalta’s architect several times to indicate on a plan of the area the residences and tourist complexes that he had mentioned as the reason behind the substation.

Without identifying any, architect Mario Scicluna argued that the substation was needed because the area suffered from low voltage, especially in summer. The closest substation was 1,500 metres away, five times the recommended distance of 300 metres, he said.

“There are hotels, farms, houses and restaurants that need the substation but the case officer’s report is more concerned about the boathouses,” he said.

The corporation was obliged to provide a reliable and safe electricity service to its customers, Mr Scicluna insisted.

Alex Vella, president of Rambler’s Association, spoke against the application, saying Enemalta would compromise scheduled land to supply electricity to il-legal buildings.

“The problem of low voltage in summer is caused by metered boathouses that supply electricity to their neighbours,” he said.

Instead of taking up virgin land, the substation should be built on the property of hotels or buildings that needed the electricity supply, Mr Vella said.