Having read the article (May 27) by Edwin Vella, public relations officer of the Malta Shooting Sport Federation, I, as one of the thousands of those appealing against siting a national shooting range next door to a retreat house, would like to put forward some points for public consideration.

First of all, let us start with stating our common ground - the idea of having a national shooting range is a great one, however, the big question is (as is so often the case on this tiny island of ours where?

How can Prime Minister Joseph Muscat make an electoral pledge without first having carried out, at the very least, thorough environmental impact assessment studies for the earmarked site? It’s all very well making promises.

Vella stated that “most pistol and rifle shooting is practised indoors or shooting lanes are built below grass level, therefore making the sound level insignificant”.

The contained shooting range, as proposed by U Group, shows an outdoor 300-metre rifle range (one assumes this will be sunk some three metres into the present terrain, but outdoor nonetheless) as well as five other shooting ranges (two indoors) plus an artillery battery.

The ‘making sound level insignificant’ clause is particularly pertinent to our concerns. What is insignificant to a shooting enthusiast may be very significant to someone else, particularly a person who has set aside time to visit Mount St Joseph Retreat House to spend a few hours, a day or perhaps a weekend in silence for any number of reasons.

Let us take the simple example of a barking dog next door, which many can relate to. One may complain to one’s neighbours who might take the dog inside but if the dog remains barking and can still be heard, albeit to a lesser degree, it can still be a huge irritation particularly if one is, for example, trying to study.

The shooting range will be used all year round, not just on the odd occasion.

Locating a national shooting range next door to a retreat house that has been serving the Maltese nation for 50 years should not even be considered out of sheer decency and consideration.

Keeping the ‘sound levels to a minimum’ is simply not enough.

Vella said that all ranges in the northern hemisphere must face north. Well, the shooting range site design as proposed has its 25-metre/50-metre ranges and its 300-metre rifle range set perpendicular to each other, with the rifle range pointing in the direction of the Żokrija residential area and school.

And, finally, as a prime example of no loss of tranquillity to Mount St Joseph Retreat House, or the school or the residential area, Vella identifies the President Hotel, in Belgrade.

Readers should know that the 4-star President Hotel is located 12 kilometres from the Belgrade suburbs (see map at www.president-belgrade.rs/map.html) and has 17-rooms plus 10 suites, located on a sporting ground that offers trap and skeet shooting facilities (commonly referred to as clay pigeon shooting). It is, therefore, of no disturbance to any disinterested member of the public.

Keeping the ‘sound levels to a minimum’ is simply not enough

Even the Baku state-of-the-art shooting complex in Azerbaijan, which was also mentioned by Vella in his claims that the proposed location for the national shooting range “will not hinder in any way the tranquillity of the Jesuits’ retreat house, the Ta’ Żokrija school or the housing estate”, is situated over half a kilometre from the nearest residence. (I will not comment about the hotel he mentions, which is incorporated in the Baku shooting complex, since, naturally, it will be accommodating those participating in the sport.)

We must also point out that, contrary to what has been suggested by some, it is not enough to install double-glazing apertures at Mount St Joseph.

The thousands of visitors who make use of Mount St Joseph each year find its extensive tranquil open grounds to be its biggest asset, this being a space that offers therapeutic natural silence to all those who seek it.

While we understand the hope of Maltese shooting enthusiasts that Malta will host international shooting competitions in a world class shooting range and reiterate that we have nothing against such facilities, we will continue to appeal that they will be located in a site which will cause no disturbance to anyone.

Alison Vella is communications officer of the Maltese Jesuit Province.