Move Ħal Far Refugees If You Want To Build New Motorsport Racetrack, Consultants Advise
Refugee centres in the Ħal Far area should be relocated if the plans for a new motorsport racetrack are to go ahead, consultants have told the government.
The noise pollution from the vehicles would impact refugees living nearby, ADI consultants said in a Project Development Statement commissioned by the Malta Motorsports Federation, MaltaToday reported.
The recommendation comes as part of a set of measures aimed at minimising the environmental impact of the proposed racetrack, which will be around 2,000m in length, and include a 472m start-to-finish straight, feature 12 turns and over 4,800 sqm of grandstands, paddock and access roads.
“Noise emissions from the racing cars, especially from non-electric vehicles and, in particular, the combustion engines” are set to be the biggest issue from the racetrack, the study found. Noise barriers could be set up in key locations to minimise noise pollution alongside “the strict monitoring of noise emissions from individual vehicles, in line with the racetrack’s noise limit policies”.
The air quality around the site is also expected to be affected, especially during “event days when the number of cars would increase substantially”.
Racetrack plans
There are a number of centres in Ħal Far – for single individuals to entire families.
Explore Ħal Far’s centres in Lovin Malta’s documentary Far From Home:
Noise pollution “cause for concern”
Aside from the refugee centres, charity Peace Lab is also just 60m away from the racetrack, and Sonia Tanti Independent Living Centre is also close by. Building the racetrack may also lead to a need for a new industrial estate as the northern access to the current Ħal Far Industrial Estate will disappear.
Aside from the recommendations, five other sites that had been considered for the racetrack were revealed: Bengħajsa in Birżebbuġa, Ta’ Ħlantun in Ħal Safi, Magħtab in Naxxar, San Niklaw in Siġġiewi and Ta’ Qali in Attard.
Should the new motorsport racetrack be built in Ħal Far?
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