The Planning Authority has approved the building of 75 apartments and maisonettes in Luqa, despite concerns that the project had been sliced up to evade environmental studies.
The development was split over two applications, both referring to a single residential complex on 950 square metres of undeveloped fields close to the Luqa state primary school.
A further three applications on the same site had been withdrawn ahead of the hearing amidst public pressure, although the developers insisted the decision was “purely commercial”.
The two considered today were both narrowly approved by the PA board by four votes to three, with chairman Vince Cassar and ERA chairman Victor Axiak voting against in both instances, along with NGO representative Annick Bonello.
Had they been considered as a whole, the applications would have constituted a ‘major development’, requiring a possible Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) and obliging the developer to provide open spaces and public amenities.
But these requirements were evaded as neither application reached the threshold for a ‘major development’ on its own. Project architect Colin Zammit said the applications could not have been combined as they are all separated by schemed roads.
During today’s hearing, developers GAP Ltd. also did not rule out eventually developing the site further by resubmitting the three withdrawn applications, which would create a massive complex of 35 maisonettes, 187 apartments and 47 penthouses over 8,700 square metres.
ERA chairman Victor Axiak made it clear that he believed the applications had been split in order to evade environmental studies.
“The way these applications were brought before us means we can’t look at the situation holistically or consider concerns like flooding, open space, and other issues which emerge from the whole development,” Prof Axiak said.
I am ashamed of the decisions we are taking here, which will leave nothing for our children.- NGO representative
NGO representative Annick Bonello, who also voted against the project, described it as a case of unsustainable over-development in one of the last green pockets remaining in Luqa.
“This bubble will eventually burst,” she said in a heated intervention. “I am ashamed of the decisions we are taking here, which will leave nothing for our children.”
The board agreed to impose a planning gain of €25,000 – to be used for green landscaping in other areas of Luqa – as well as commissioning a study on any indigenous flora and fauna within the site, to assess the need for transplantation.
This condition, proposed by board member Timmy Gambin, was rejected for the first application but then approved by a single vote for the second, larger, section of the project.
Objectors, including Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar and Luqa residents, repeatedly argued that the applications should be considered as one major development, as well as calling for more public open space to be included in the plans as compensation.
But Luqa mayor John Schembri described the fields as a “dumping ground”, and said the town needed the project as many young people were leaving due to a lack of quality housing.
The Luqa council had previously protested the removal of “one of the last rural areas in the locality” and called for “landscaping and embellishment” to be part of any development in the area.