Mepa approves 100 apartments in Midi project
Mepa has approved the building of a nine-storey office blocks and two 14 storey residential blocks with 102 apartments as part of the Midi Tigne project.
During a public hearing this morning, objections were raised by officials of Flimkien Ghal-Ambjent Ahjar, who argued that the Environment Impact Assessment was 13 years old. FAA spokesman Astrid Vella expressed concern over traffic congestion and pollution levels.
Architect Prof Alex Torpiano, the project architect, explained how the original project had to be changed in order to accommodate the Garden Battery, which was found during the excavation work. The volume of the cancelled tower block has now been added to the residential blocks which have risen from six to 14 storeys. The hotel stipulated in the development brief has also been converted to residential use.
Mepa officials also insisted that the EIA had been updated, following a poorly attended public consultation process. They said that what was before the board was all in line with the outline development permit granted in 1999.
After the development was approved, Mrs Vella said Mepa had betrayed its mission statement to ensure a quality of life that will be in harmony with the natural, cultural and built environment. It was as if Mepa had never happened, she said.
Mepa also granted full development permit for the rehabilitation and reuse of the Lazzaretto complex at Manoel Island.
The restoration will accommodate residential units, office facilities, a casino and a car park.
20 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Ms.D. Galea
Jan 19th, 17:41
Why is it that MEPA has to be weak with the strong and strong with the weak?
The weak have votes too.
Joseph Camilleri
Jan 19th, 16:51
Can someone bother to get MEPA's side of the story? I am certain there is more to this than the simplistic view presented here. Particularly when controversial, MEPA stuff is rarely so cut and dried.
O GALEA
Jan 19th, 16:34
MEPA is a farce.... and i would love to see a private fiscal investigation (money and property) of all MEPA personnel (and their immediate family).
Mepa pick on the small fish (rightly so) but leave the big fish alone (which is totally WRONG)!
...... and like another blogger said..... now with the elections coming up..... permits to be granted left and right .
All the big property magnates are the ones running this country......
A tabone
Jan 19th, 18:26
It is clear that you have no idea what you are talking about and just want to push your own political agenda . The apartments approved today are in line with the outline development permits on this site. The buildable volumes are identical to those approved by BOTH sides of the house in the year 2000 and have been respected to the letter. In case you didn't know these permits have been discussed for 7 and 6 years respectively and today's MEPA hearing date was set many months before the very recent political impasse was even a glint in Franco Debono's eye. This is public knowledge and easily verifiable but since it doesn't suit your argument let’s go ahead and rant and rave about political interference etc .
Sad really.
Joe Grech
Jan 19th, 19:57
@ A. Tabone - I for one remain unimpressed by your supposed explanation. You seem to be quite knowledgeable in these issues so presumably you are very aware how quite a number of Outline Development Permits were obtained in the not too distant past! Have you really forgotten about the speculative rot and abuse? Have you forgotten that in Malta certain speculators have a way of obtaining what they want quite easily - by jumping on certain politicians wagon! Not so long ago they even let the politicians do most of their dirty work - by making it look like their project would benefit Tourism, the Environment, Agriculture or what not.
The question I wish to ask you is: Do you really believe that Midi is not a veritable blot on the Maltese landscape? I also suggest you go to see it from the deck of a cruise ship approaching the Maltese coast.
Joe Grech
Jan 19th, 16:24
The irresponsibility - and, possibly, rot and abuse - at MEPA - seems to have re-commenced.
IS AN ELECTION COMING UP?
Who can take this administration seriously?
O GALEA
Jan 19th, 17:13
Hand on heart.... i don't know who to vote for ! It has to be the greens coz they're the only ones who care about the environment.
on the other hand, isn't MEPA supposed to be autonomous ? (yeah , right !)
D. A . Agius
Jan 19th, 15:55
Build build build... castles in the air...
Someday, a bubble will burst.
Joanne Micallef
Jan 19th, 15:46
Mepa is the biggest joke ever
Joe A. Borg
Jan 19th, 15:31
An other 100 units to the already over-supplied market (actually we have no idea what the exact figure is, because if this is release, the repurcussons can be drastic) what damage can it do?
After all, all this development is guaranteed by the bank and the MEGA BIG business man and thus help the Maltese Economy to grow, and grow, and grow.... sakem tinfaqgha il buzzieqa.
The past 20 years has seen a Maltese economy that was driven and dependent by the mega-construction industry, without ever taking into account the sustainability of this activity.
All the industry at the moment is complaining that the market is by far over saturated and sales are hard to come. So much so, their suppliers are having problems getting paid and the only way they can recover their debits is by accepting to take a unit or two as payment, but one will only recover the payment if and when the unit is finally sold. And what about the VAT and transfer duties that should be recovered from these transactions?
MELA onfoh MEPA forsi insalvaw, ghax kull vot hu importanti...
Lawrence Fenech
Jan 19th, 15:17
Lejlit l-elezzjoni u GonziPN jghid li m'hemmx gimiks qabel l-elezzjoni. Gideb biss.
R. Cilia
Jan 19th, 14:40
let them build more appartments! The bubble will not take much longer to burst.We can always put the blame on the crisis in Europe when it does!
John Scerri
Jan 19th, 14:17
Pity there is no Independence arena at Tigne with steps to be converted into parking spaces ...!!!!
Eve Axiaq
Jan 19th, 13:51
Kemm irridu nisimghu ahbarjiet bhal dawn issa qabel l-elezzjoni!! Imbaghad jitkellmu favur l-ambjent, ipokrezija at its best!
Robert Chetcuti
Jan 19th, 13:24
"Mepa approves 100 apartments in Midi project" - why am i not surprised?
Joe E Galea
Jan 19th, 13:24
Hehehe those who have been waiting for a MEPA permit will be granted permit in the coming days :)
Viva Father Gonzi Christmas.
Jay Oatmon
Jan 19th, 13:15
There is money to be made by the developers and their friends - the interests of the public always come last in Malta. Whenever the rules can be bent in Malta they will be - it's that simple.
C Cassar
Jan 19th, 16:20
It's the public that will buy the new apartments, so there is demand. No one will buy an apartment if it's a horrible place to live but this is clearly not the case since these apartments will sell very quickly.
The roads have been improved in this area together with the tunnel opening, so capacity has been increased.
Moaning as usual from those who don't live there.
Mr John Borg
Jan 19th, 13:08
Aren't these the same towers that Midi said it was not going to build and instead leave as an open space and garden for public enjoyment?
They finally found the money to build these towers now?
A tabone
Jan 19th, 15:31
wrong mr borg. the one they decided not to build was the 22 storey tower which will not happen and which will be a huge public open space instead. This is another thing altogether and was always earmarked for residential apartments.