‘Aqta’ Fjura U Ibni Supermarket’: PA Application On ODZ Land Receives Fierce Backlash
A planning application to build a huge supermarket on 7,000 square metres of “untouched” agricultural ODZ land in San Ġwann has received fierce backlash from an adjacent school, former students, and the mayor of the locality.
“Aqta’ Fjura u Ibni Supermarket (cut a flower and build a supermarket),” Swieqi local council candidate and former St Michael’s Foundation student Jordan Galea Pace wrote on social media, renaming a Maltese poem written by Immanuel Mifsud about the need to respect the natural environment studied by local students for their O’ Levels.
The planning application (PA/07308/22) seeks to construct a supermarket, underground parking, stores, and related offices on 7,000 square-metres of ODZ land on Triq tal-Balal and Triq tal-Prepostu, in an area of San Ġwann known as Ta’ Ġnien Tut.
The proposed site is already 250 metres away from another supermarket. An application for a different supermarket and a DIY store across the road is also being processed, according to the Times of Malta.
The application lists JG Periti as the architectural firm and Meleney Gauci as the developer. Yet, according to the public application form, Jason Pace is the sole owner of the site.
Besides already being an outside development zone, the site in question abuts Wied Għomor and Wied il-Kbir, both protected Areas of Ecological Importance and a Site of Scientific Importance.
“As an ex-student of St.Michaels Foundation which is adjacent to this [proposed] project we were taught how to care for our environment and how to protect it, we’ve studied poems Aqta’ Fjura u Ibni Kamra which can now just be paraphrased to Aqta’ Fjura u Ibni Supermarket,” Galea Pace said.
“Over 500 students study at St Michael’s Foundation, their upbringing is going to be dust and disturbances.”
He then posted a photo of his own objection submitted to the Planning Authority (PA) website.
Meanwhile, the St Michael’s Foundation stands firmly against the proposal, sending out a letter calling for people and parents to object the application.
It urged that this proposal prioritises the “construction of a supermarket over the health and well-being of our children and the protection of the natural environment”.
“We strongly object to the application which will permanently destroy the natural environment, cause serious and prolonged disruption, and upset the School’s immediate surroundings to the detriment of the health and well-being of our hundreds of pupils, your children,” the school wrote.
“We hope that this application never sees the light of day.”
“The application runs contrary to the Rural Policy & Design Guidance (RPDG) 2014 and to Thematic Objective 1 of the Strategic Plan for Environment & Development for limiting the land take-up for uses which are not necessary or legitimate in rural areas,” the school continued while urging others to object too, pointing out the strength that comes in numbers.
“San Ġwann already has numerous supermarkets and the take-up of agricultural ODZ land, let alone land that is on the doorstep of a school and a protected ecological area, is certainly not necessary or legitimate.”
“Noting that a separate application under PA2764/21 proposes to construct two supermarkets with underground parking across the road, it creates serious risks of creating a concerning precedent.”
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