Boiler Wharf permit and development

Times of Malta reported on the illegal development at Boiler Wharf and the retrospective approval of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority. Should we be surprised?

Of equal if not greater importance to residents of Senglea is a planning review of Boiler Wharf published in March. Again there was no public consultation except from those of us who discovered the deadline through social media. The purpose of the review was to widen permitted development zoning options by adding leisure, tourism retail, cultural uses and related services to existing commercial, industrial, dock areas and passenger terminal use. In other words anything goes.

Concern was expressed in representations about the increased traffic flow as there is only one road to this site along Senglea Waterfront. The common response of the planning authority in the published documents was “... among the mitigation measures that may be required are, amending the proposed development, traffic management schemes and alternative means of access to the site”.

I have attempted to persuade Senglea council to take up this issue but they appear unable to grasp the consequences of increased use of Boiler Wharf on the traffic flow along the waterfront. Their response has been: “It’s impossible to find an alternative road… We’ve discussed that with Minister Joe Mizzi and he told us that it’s impossible.” One thing I have learned about Malta over many years is that if there is the will, even the impossible can be done.

However, if an alternative route is impossible which I and others doubt, then Transport Malta should commission a traffic survey now to establish a limit on use of the waterfront route to Boiler Wharf rather than waiting for piecemeal planning applications, retrospective or otherwise.

Without that, life will become more intolerable than at present with road blockages from increased numbers of tourist buses pumping out diesel fumes as they jockey for a way through an otherwise blocked road.