Landowners seeking reconsideration of scheduling to 'small area beyond Balluta valley'

Adds statement by landowners:

Companies who own land in the vicinity of Balluta Valley said through their representative this evening that that they are not seeking the de-scheduling of Balluta Valley but are calling for reconsideration of the level of scheduling afforded to a small area which lies on a flat surface far beyond the valley’s sides and bed.

Replying to concerns expressed by the Balluta Residents' Association, the companies, in a statement said this area contains no features that merit environmental protection via scheduling at level 2 and has been included in the scheduled zone erroneously and for reasons not supported by any scientific evidence.

Mepa is to hold a meeting on Thursdaybut a spokesman for the authority said in the afternoon that Mepa's Planning Directorate is against changing the level of protection granted five months ago to Balluta valley. 

The Mepa spokesman said that a number of landowners had requested changes to the grading of some parts of the valley. Mepa officials had studied the requests, but felt that no changes should be made.

The residents' association said the majority of residents of the area strongly objected to changes in the scheduling. They also strongly objected to further development in the valley as this is the only green lung left in Balluta and the surroundings.

The scheduling of Balluta Valley, which cuts through Sliema and St. Julians was announced last December, when Mepa said this is an Area of Ecological Importance (AEI).

The site covers  an area of over 46,000m² and was designated different levels of protection including a buffer zone to protect the overall integrity of the valley.

"While this valley represents a typical Maltese wied, it certainly holds some distinctive features in that it is “shorter, steeper, and wider” than most other valleys in Malta," Mepa said.

Richard Lia, heritage planning officer at Mepa said at the time that although urbanisation girdles the entire valley, the steep banks and bed of this valley still support rich and dense maquis vegetation, whereas a substantial part of its northern valley side is characterised by exposed karstic terrain with associated floral assemblages.

Mr Lia also pointed out that  this 'green lung', in a densely-built area, has various components that contribute to the landscape setting of this valley — its geomorphology, a mixture of natural communities, archaeophytes as well as pockets of agricultural land that are today still farmed in the traditional way.

The entire protected valley is composed of Globigerina Limestone (Franka) while parts of the southern valley-side consists of a ravine with a sharp drop in site levels, reminiscent of a small-scale solution subsidence structure.

Apart from a predominance of carob and olive trees, the valley-bed also supports bay laurels (is-siġar tar-rand) whereas the upper valley side, sustains a population of rosemary (klin) and pyramidal orchids (orkidi piramidali), amongst other floral species.