Residents Launch Petition Opposing 65 Unit Apartment Complex Near Countryside In Lija Outskirts
Residents of Lija have launched a petition in opposition to the construction of an apartment complex on the outskirts of the village, which they say will ruin the area’s character.
The development has been proposed in Triq il-Mitħna which lies on the edge of the development zone. If accepted, it would see an existing farm demolished and replaced with 65 residential units and 163 underground garages.
Among residents’ concerns are that such a residential complex, in addition to being incongruous with the characteristics of the area, would create excessive pressure on the utility services, given the large increase in residency that it would bring to the street.
The resulting increase in traffic is another concern cited by the residents, with over 100 objections sent to the Planning Authority in relation to the proposal, including by the Lija local council.
It is worth noting that the proposed development is only possible because of a change in zoning that was approved last year.
The application had been recommended for refusal by the case officer, given that it did not constitute a minor amendment as required by the relevant policy for judging the request.
It was also objected to by the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) which said that the proposal involved in principle “commitment for urban sprawl beyond existing development zones”.
“This extensive land up-take would occur at the expense of the adjacent countryside and would also result in further degradation of the rural landscape. The entire surrounding area beyond the development zone is designated as being ODZ with the specific aim of excluding built development and avoiding its adverse environmental implications at source,” ERA had noted in relation to the rezoning.
It warned that changing the development boundaries would “intensify development pressures at the urban-rural interface, with consequent indirect repercussions on its further disturbance and degradation”.
The proposed development
It would also “introduce additional threats to the countryside in the form of a precedent for similar proposals, thereby contributing both directly and indirectly to cumulative urbanization of the countryside which is among the most critical environmental concerns at both national and local level and should be rigorously avoided”.
“All development is to be located within the limits of the development zone and the proposal is to be updated accordingly,” concluded ERA.
Despite ERA’s objections, and the recommendation to refuse the application by the case officer, the application was accepted by the Planning Authority’s Executive Council.
As for the present application, the environment authority has not formally objected.
The only challenge came from the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage which has recommended that “a more sensitive treatment in volumes as well as in design, in order to mitigate the impact of such development onto the surrounding landscape”.
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