NGOs are denouncing the Government’s attempt to change the Local Plans to allow further intensification of construction and commercialisation under the guise of “sporting facilities”.
The current proposals put forward by the Planning Authority make it clear that this review is less about strengthening sports and more about opening up areas to intensive and unsustainable commercial development, including sites located in the ODZ and those designated as Open Spaces.
The proposals seek to allow additions to existing sites, as well as the development of new ones, in which the sport component would constitute only a small fraction of the overall activity. The 60% minimum sport component delineated within the policy would, in practice, also permit so-called “ancillary facilities”, including activities such as catering, spas, and hostels. In addition, a further 40% may consist of commercial facilities that are completely unrelated to sports. Even more construction and commercial activity would be permitted in areas covered by Development Briefs and FAR sites.
Alarmingly, new facilities could be built even in ODZ areas through provisions that would allow the proliferation of structures and commercial activity on quarries within the countryside. This would lead to the urbanisation of the ODZ, compromise the effective implementation of the EU Nature Restoration Law, and run counter to existing Local Plan provisions and development permit conditions mandating the restoration of quarries to natural or agricultural land once their use is extinguished.
Further ODZ land, and even zones designated as Open Space, could also be taken up if they are considered “underutilised, abandoned, or failing sports facilities,” with no definitions or parameters provided for such a classification.
The NGOs deem these proposed changes to be extremely harmful both to sports and to the environment, and argue that they are clearly intended to satisfy developers’ interests in already proposed or future development projects. The changes prioritise commercial interests over sporting activity and would open up swathes of territory across Malta and Gozo to land grabs and speculation.
Our islands are already overburdened by unnecessary and harmful commercial activity in every corner. The Government is now using sport as a Trojan Horse to undermine people’s quality of life, food security, and the environment, for the benefit of a select few.
The public may submit their objections to this Local Plans review until 1 April by sending an email to sports_facilities@pa.org.mt.
Organisations
BirdLife Malta
Din l-Art Ħelwa
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar
Friends of the Earth Malta
Front Żgħażagħ għall-Ambjent
Għawdix
Moviment Graffitti
Nature Trust Malta
Ramblers’ Association of Malta
Wirt Għawdex
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Il-Gvern juża l-isport bħala Żiemel ta’ Trojja li qed jhedded l-ambjent u l-kwalità tal-ħajja tagħna
L-NGOs qed jikkundannaw it-tentattiv tal-Gvern biex ibiddel il-Pjanijiet Lokali sabiex il-kostruzzjoni u l-kummerċjalizzazzjoni ta’ artna tkompli tintensifika bl-iskuża tal-“faċilitajiet sportivi”.
Il-proposti attwali mressqa mill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar jagħmluha ċara li din ir-reviżjoni fil-verità mhix qed tfittex li ssaħħaħ l-isport f’pajjiżna, iżda trid tiftaħ aktar żoni għal żvilupp kummerċjali intensiv u mhux sostenibbli, inklużi siti li jinsabu fl-ODZ u dawk indikati bħala Spazji Miftuħa.
Il-proposti jridu jippermettu aktar żvilupp f’siti eżistenti, kif ukoll jippermettu l-iżvilupp ta’ siti ġodda, li fihom l-element sportiv se jkun jikkostitwixxi biss frazzjoni żgħira tal-attività inġenerali permessa. L-element sportiv minimu ta’ 60% stabbilit fi ħdan il-policy, fil-prattika, jippermetti wkoll l-hekk imsejħa “faċilitajiet anċillari”, li jinkludu attivitajiet bħal catering, spas, u hostels. Barra minn hekk, 40% oħra taż-żona jistgħu jkunu faċilitajiet kummerċjali li m’għandhom xejn x’jaqsmu mal-isport. F’żoni koperti minn Development Briefs u f’siti FAR, se jkunu saħansitra permessi aktar bini u attività kummerċjali.
B’mod allarmanti, jistgħu jinbnew faċilitajiet ġodda anke f’żoni ODZ permezz ta’ dispożizzjonijiet li jippermettu l-proliferazzjoni ta’ strutturi u attività kummerċjali f’barrieri fil-kampanja. Dan se jwassal għall-urbanizzazzjoni tal-ODZ, jikkomprometti l-implimentazzjoni effettiva tal-Liġi tal-UE dwar ir-Restawr tan-Natura, u jmur kontra d-dispożizzjonijiet eżistenti tal-Pjanijiet Lokali u l-kundizzjonijiet tal-permessi għall-iżvilupp li jeżiġu r-restawr tal-barrieri għal art naturali jew agrikola ladarba jieqfu jintużaw.
Aktar art ODZ, u saħansitra anke żoni ddeżinjati bħala Spazji Miftuħa, jistgħu jinbnew ukoll jekk jiġu meqjusa li huma “faċilitajiet sportivi mhux utilizzati biżżejjed, abbandunati, jew li qed ifallu,” mingħajr ebda definizzjonijiet jew parametri pprovduti għal tali klassifikazzjoni.
L-NGOs iqisu dawn il-bidliet proposti bħala ta’ ħsara kbira kemm għall-isport kif ukoll għall-ambjent, u qed isostnu li huma ċarament maħsuba biex jissodisfaw l-interessi tal-iżviluppaturi fi proġetti ta’ żvilupp diġà proposti jew futuri. Il-bidliet jagħtu prijorità lill-interessi kummerċjali fuq l-attività sportiva u jwittu t-triq biex meded kbar ta’ art madwar Malta u Għawdex jinħatfu għall-ispekulazzjoni.
Il-gżejjer tagħna diġà huma mgħobbija żżejjed b’attività kummerċjali bla bżonn u ta’ ħsara f’kull rokna. Il-Gvern issa qed juża l-isport bħala Żiemel ta’ Trojja biex jimmina l-kwalità tal-ħajja tan-nies, is-sigurtà tal-ikel, u l-ambjent, għall-benefiċċju ta’ ftit nies b’saħħithom.
Il-pubbliku jista’ joġġezzjona għal din ir-reviżjoni tal-Pjanijiet Lokal sal-1 t’April billi jibgħat email fuq sports_facilities@pa.org.mt.
L-għaqdiet firmatarji
BirdLife Malta
Din l-Art Ħelwa
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar
Friends of the Earth Malta
Front Żgħażagħ għall-Ambjent
Għawdix
Moviment Graffitti
Nature Trust Malta
Ramblers’ Association of Malta
Wirt Għawdex
