The Planning Authroity had refused planning permission for a petrol station and ancillary facilities on an ODZ site on the Coast Road near Salina.

The site, with an area of approximately 2,888m² is mostly surrounded by karstland that is protected as a Level 2 Area of Ecological Importance.  

The application also sought  permission to decommission a fuel station in Tower Road in Sliema.

The PA Board agreed with the recommendation made by the Planning Directorate that the new petrol station would have given rise to unacceptable adverse environmental impacts within the site and its surrounding context and that the development did not satisfy the eligibility and location criteria as established in the Fuel Service Stations Policy.

PERMIT REVOKED OWING TO FALSE INFORMATION

The Planning Board also revoked a planning permit which was granted earlier this year for the development of a residential dwelling with a basement store in a sensitive area of agricultural value in Burmarrad.

The Board agreed that there was sufficient evidence to show that when the planning decision had been taken by the Planning Commission last January, the applicant who claimed to be a full time arable farmer had never actually taken any agricultural produce to the pitkali at Ta' Qali. This called into question the purpose as to why the farmer needed to have an existing store converted into a residential dwelling.

Furthermore, the applicant also submitted a false declaration of ownership which was a material consideration in the original decision.

"The Board noted that the applicant had presented misleading information which had influenced the decision of the Planning Commission. During the public meeting, it was also brought to the Board’s attention that a structure of a considerable size had been constructed prior to the Planning Commission’s decision," the PA said.