A planning authority commission has approved an outline permit for a supermarket in Xewkija but banned any development on the site that would fall outside the development scheme.

The permit, approved by the Environment and Planning Commission, is to build a supermarket and car park with 81 spaces on a site measuring approximately 4,780 square metres on Mġarr Road.

The project had originally been recommended for refusal because the developers had failed to submit an adequate traffic impact statement, deemed a key issue.

Another issue of concern that had been raised by the planning directorate was that half of the proposed development, the car park, was planned on a part of the site that was outside development zone.

However, a planning authority spokesman explained yesterday that the main reason for the “refuse” recommendation – the traffic impact statement – had been addressed after the developer submitted another one to Transport Malta, which was approved.

Also, the board included a condition in the outline permit, which covers the footprint of the development, banning any form of development, building or car park beyond the development boundary, the spokesman said.

Environmental organisation Flimkien għal-Ambjent Aħjar said the commission had “no choice but to approve the permit of a supermarket on agricultural land since this was designated as a development zone in the local plans, even though much of the industrial estate just across the road is empty and neglected”.

These changes to the local plans would also accommodate the Lidl supermarket which had a pending application on agricultural land four sites away in the same valley, the NGO pointed out.

It also noted that the planning authority board was today set to decide on an application to build 46 apartments and garages in a valley at Luqa.

“This valley, full of protected carob and dry stone walls, was taken over as developable in the rationalisation plans when facing the valley are rows of unsold new apartments,” it complained.