A total of 388 industrial spaces will begin to be made available to small businesses in three parks within the next few months, the Finance Ministry has said.
The Żabbar enterprise park, which is nearing completion, will offer 78 spaces. Seventy-six will be made available at the first of two parks in Għaxaq where works began a few months ago. The Burmarrad enterprise park, the first phase of which should be available to tenants in a year's time, will incorporate 184 spaces.
The Malta Environment and Planning Authority has indicated seven sites for SME parks which aim to encourage small firms to relocate from village cores to dedicated zones.
Two micro-enterprise parks mentioned in the recent Budget are earmarked for Xewkija and Mellieħa and are to be developed on government-owned land under public-private partnerships. Malta Industrial Parks is committed to issue tenders for these sites within the next six months. The Xewkija park will occupy a totally separate area from the existing industrial estate, opposite the local cemetery.
A Finance Ministry official said a second site in Għaxaq is currently facing a planning revaluation and a technical planning hitch has hit the one planned for Mġarr.
Mepa posted its decision for the Burmarrad enterprise park on November 10 and the first of four clusters of buildings should be made available within a year.
"Provided that where the land exceeds 10,000 square metres, the first 10,000 square metres shall be developed within one year, while the remaining land shall be consecutively developed at the rate of 10,000 square metres each year," the ministry said.
The site area occupies 39,200 square metres (around 35 tumoli) at the foot of T'Alla w Ommu Hill, limits of Naxxar; the footprint area of the industrial buildings occupies 62 per cent of the site. The blocks area will take up 24,408 square metres. Plans for the Burmarrad site have been drawn up by Vella, Micallef and Associates. Malta Industrial Parks will provide the infrastructural services.
The developers - Josons Company Ltd, Josmar Ltd and Mario Scicluna Ltd - will manage the park.
Mepa has specified that adequate provision has to be made on site for common administrative and support services, parking areas for employees and visitors, and adequate circulation for heavy vehicles. The park is to feature common landscaped areas, recreational facilities, waste management facilities, and adequate infrastructure services including water catchment facilities.
It has also been proposed that an administration block, a canteen, water reservoirs, services ducts, a sewage pumping station, a waste collection area, a sub-station and landscaping be included in the development.
The development description brief envisages similar activities such as cargo handling, manufacturing and vehicle repairs be grouped in the different blocks on site.