Ta' Cenc-subterfuge or coincidence?
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Sunday, December 25, 2005, 00:00 by Alan Deidun Ta' Cenc- subterfuge or coincidence? As part of a holistic tree-oriented approach, last September St Aloysius have also planted over 200 olive and cypress trees at Mount St Joseph The fact that the date of January 6 (i.e. the deadline for the submission of objections to this project) has not been posted on the MEPA Website is coincidence No. 1 (hence, many members of the public are oblivious of their right to object). The fact that, while the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the project has been released by Sannat council, it has not yet been 'certified' by MEPA which is still reviewing it (just 13 days before the deadline) is coincidence No. 2. The fact that this project has reached a crescendo in the Christmas festivities, when objecting to major projects is the least of so many people's concerns, is coincidence No. 3. The fact that a public meeting (see below) on the project is planned to be held just two days before the deadline is coincidence No. 4. The bottom line is that the least that MEPA can do under the circumstances is to extend the January 6 deadline. With both political parties making positive forays towards the Ta' Cenc project, purported to give Gozo the edge on the niche 'winter tourism' market (at the expense of losing 10.23 ha of precious Gozitan footprint), what realistic possibilities are there of Sannat council picking the nettle and taking a stand against the project? After all, both major parties are represented on it. This column will home in on the EIS of this gargantuan, shameful development in the next few weeks. A date to jot down in your notebooks is Wednesday, January 4, when a public meeting on the project will be held at Sannat school at 6.30 p.m. Be there! Kempinski San Lawrenz Hotel I must thank the Classified section of The Sunday Times for giving me an insight into the planning situation at the Kempinski San Lawrenz Hotel in Gozo. Although Nature Trust has been clamouring for information on whether this hotel was actually granted permits to develop and sell residences instead of developing a hotel extension in an (Outside Development Zone) ODZ site, the MTA and MEPA passed the buck between them a myriad of times, with no definite reply forthcoming. Now it's official - as Simonne Pace reports, the Kempinski Residences (66 residences and six penthouse suites), located on the grounds of the Kempinski Hotel, are nearing completion. Ms Pace, in praising the project, states that these developments will entice Maltese businessmen and entrepreneurs who will purchase property for business rather than for residential purposes, and also a 'substantial' number of foreigners who will either settle in or rent out. Against such a backdrop, will the developers of this project (Baldacchino Group) claim that theirs is a purely 'tourist-oriented' project and not a 'speculative' one, as Victor Borg, developer
Transcript of Ta' Cenc-subterfuge or coincidence?
Sunday, December 25, 2005, 00:00 by Alan Deidun
Ta' Cenc- subterfuge or coincidence?
As part of a holistic tree-oriented approach, last September St Aloysius have also planted over 200 olive and cypress trees at Mount St Joseph
The fact that the date of January 6 (i.e. the deadline for the submission of objections to this project) has not been posted on the MEPA Website is coincidence No. 1 (hence, many members of the public are oblivious of their right to object).
The fact that, while the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the project has been released by Sannat council, it has not yet been 'certified' by MEPA which is still reviewing it (just 13 days before the deadline) is coincidence No. 2. The fact that this project has reached a crescendo in the Christmas festivities, when objecting to major projects is the least of so many people's concerns, is coincidence No. 3. The fact that a public meeting (see below) on the project is planned to be held just two days before the deadline is coincidence No. 4. The bottom line is that the least that MEPA can do under the circumstances is to extend the January 6 deadline.
With both political parties making positive forays towards the Ta' Cenc project, purported to give Gozo the edge on the niche 'winter tourism' market (at the expense of losing 10.23 ha of precious Gozitan footprint), what realistic possibilities are there of Sannat council picking the nettle and taking a stand against the project? After all, both major parties are represented on it.
This column will home in on the EIS of this gargantuan, shameful development in the next few weeks. A date to jot down in your notebooks is Wednesday, January 4, when a public meeting on the project will be held at Sannat school at 6.30 p.m. Be there!
Kempinski San Lawrenz Hotel I must thank the Classified section of The Sunday Times for giving me an insight into the planning situation at the Kempinski San Lawrenz Hotel in Gozo. Although Nature Trust has been clamouring for information on whether this hotel was actually granted permits to develop and sell residences instead of developing a hotel extension in an (Outside Development Zone) ODZ site, the MTA and MEPA passed the buck between them a myriad of times, with no definite reply forthcoming.
Now it's official - as Simonne Pace reports, the Kempinski Residences (66 residences and six penthouse suites), located on the grounds of the Kempinski Hotel, are nearing completion. Ms Pace, in praising the project, states that these developments will entice Maltese businessmen and entrepreneurs who will purchase property for business rather than for residential purposes, and also a 'substantial' number of foreigners who will either settle in or rent out.
Against such a backdrop, will the developers of this project (Baldacchino Group) claim that theirs is a purely 'tourist-oriented' project and not a 'speculative' one, as Victor Borg, developer
of the Ta' Gene project, claims?
Xemxija yacht marina conundrum Dion Borg (The Sunday Times, December 18) rightly states that "a truthful following of the Green Whistleblower's contributions is an eye-opener''. In fact, I am quite irked at different correspondents using this column in a spurious way to embolden their stance.
I have been harping against the Xemxija yacht marina for at least three years, on the sacrosanct premise that the site harbours dense Posidonia meadows, an important boulder scree assemblage (at Gebel lrxawn beyond Fekruna Point) and is still (despite occasional flutterings to the contrary) important with bathers.
What I have added to this ironclad stance in the last few months was that if authorities were to proceed with this white elephant despite public opinion (since the majority do indeed want to see Xemxija Bay unmarred by some major project), then environmental considerations must be given the highest rostrum during the design planning stage.
Hence, it is inconceivable how Aidan Xuereb (The Sunday Times, December 4) chose to prune selectively out the latter part of my stance on the yacht marina at Xemxija from my contributions by stating that for a project to be environmentally sound does not mean that one has condescended to a fait accompli.
Accountable to no one? With the December 13 deluge, the Wied Ghollieqa breached dam has again hogged the limelight. I will not be drawn into a debate as to whether the illegal breaching of the dam in what should be a nature reserve by the Works Division made flooding downstream at Gzira worse. But I do object to the heavy-handed way in which the Works Division illegally breached the dam to construct a 1.5 m-wide stormwater channel, all for private interests (i.e. to buttress small farm buildings in the valley bed, originally illegally constructed and then sanctioned) and without applying for any permits - a close analogy to the Salina case.
Five months after MEPA issued an enforcement notice on the case (0655/05), Works certainly show no qualms about the matter. In a recent meeting held at MEPA between NTM and MEPA itself, Works Division reps failed to show up, not even abiding by the protocol which states that at least they should announce their absence.
One should not be surprised by such behaviour, however, since Works Division have accustomed us to first carrying out works in the middle of protected areas and then sending notice of such works, without applying for the necessary permits and following specified method statements. I wonder if these people actually know whether MEPA exists at all.
Comino - still within developers' sight Despite its relatively unspoilt nature, Camino is never far from the sights of those out to make a quick buck. In fact, two separate applications which impinge on the island's ecological integrity have been submitted:
7114/05 - to use Cominotto Beach for the hiring of sunbeds and umbrellas during the day.
7116/05 - to use the Blue Lagoon for the hiring of sunbeds and umbrellas during the day.
While visitors to the island should be catered for, care must be taken to ensure that ecologically important sites are not encroached upon.
This column wishes the most belated (and green) Christmas season to all, remembering the 'reason behind the season', and hoping for a new year, free from illegal development ...
