Portomaso ecological zone should be scheduled

We recently read that Wied il-Balluta was scheduled by the Planning Authority (Mepa) as an Area of Ecological Importance. This is indeed good news and the 44,000 m2 site will now be a protected green ecological zone and a lung of clean air in the heavily built-up area.

Mepa should now schedule another ecological zone at St Julian’s, namely the land at Portomaso, which was identified as an ecological zone in the original permit for the whole Portomaso development, and which was protected when the construction works were going on. By declaring the 11,000 m2 ecological zone an Area of Ecological Importance Mepa would ensure that the site would never be developed.

This would, after all, be in line with the original permits for Portomaso which included a condition that no new developments or extension are permissible at Portomaso.