The vision of SmartCity yesterday took another step closer to materialising when the SmartCity Malta Master Plan/Project Description Statement was unveiled by the Industry, Investment and IT Ministry.

In an hour-long presentation, consultant Hugh Roberts from the company Colin Buchanan gave a detailed outlook on the master plan entitled: “Transforming Ricasoli into a Knowledge-Based Business Community”.

The master plan is to be discussed in Parliament today at committee stage. If there are any votes against it at this stage, it will be put to a vote in the House. The government, however, is anxious to get the ball rolling so the developers, Tecom, can submit their formal applications to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority. When they are approved, the project, which could take up to 14 years to complete, would begin in earnest.

In his presentation, Mr Roberts said SmartCity was set to be the largest ever foreign direct investment in the ICT and media sectors ever made in Malta. It was also expected to generate a minimum of four per cent growth in the Maltese job market and would also develop the international brand identity of SmartCity in Europe. It would also be the first EU investment on the principle of Dubai’s Internet and Media Cities.

The project description statement, said Mr Roberts, set out for the creation of a flagship development for offices, lodging, hotels and business-based leisure, retail and associated commercial uses.

It also stipulated that Ricasoli be turned into a world-class ICT/Media Business Park which is integrated in the historic, natural and social setting of the chosen site.

The statement also established that the park allows for the use of open and green spaces for all. In fact, Mr Roberts said, some 33 per cent of the total land area (particularly round the coast) would be open and green space. Fielding a question from The Malta Independent, Mr Roberts conceded he did not know exactly how this compared to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority’s minimum requirements, but said that it was ample enough and that he did not foresee any problems in that regard. “We are quite confident that the project will qualify. Thirty-three per cent of total land area is quite a hefty chunk,” he said.

Mr Roberts gave a breakdown of the company’s Strengths and Weakness, Opportunities and Threats analysis (SWOT) and said that the positives far outweighed the negatives. Strengths, he said, included the fact that most of the site was designated for employment development. The policy also supported the improvements to the existing industrial estate in Ricasoli as well as being within easy reach of major centres and the airport.

It also had an existing road network which was un-congested. Weaknesses on the other hand showed that there were indirect road links and that the network needed substantial upgrading.

The roads also passed through residential and built-up areas while there were no dedicated cycle paths and pedestrian routes, coupled with limited public transport. Opportunities, again, outweighed threats, said Mr Roberts. “It will provide Malta with significant new employment and economic development opportunities while also regenerating declining employment areas,” he said.

These, he said, were the most important factors, but he also mentioned that new landmark buildings would be created, Fort St Rocco would be preserved, new retail facilities would open, a new infrastructure (both physical and digital) would be put in place and that the coast would remain protected and accessible to all.

“The project will also improve the quality of the environment and the landscape and mixed-use development will help create a self-contained community – reducing the need to travel by car,” he said.

The project would also help to reduce reliance on vehicular traffic through the introduction of smart public transport and alternative transport such as ferries. Pressed for more on the issue of alternative transport, Mr Roberts said the developers were intent on introducing sustainable travel schemes such as ferries from the port area and the use of park and ride systems. Mr Roberts said the business park would put pedestrians before vehicles in all aspects of its design.

Investment Minister Austin Gatt said the government had insisted that the master plan be part of the evolving process that SmartCity would become. “The plan must reflect what the government sees as the priorities for the region. We want to ensure that our principles are prevalent. In fact, the developers cannot change any of the land usage approved by the government without our permission,” he said.

He also said it was positive to see that the developers had a very cordial dialogue with Mepa. “Tecom have put a lot of money into this and in the past nine months, have already forked out the money to carry out traffic and environment impact assessment reports. The fact that we could have turned them down if we were not satisfied with those reports shows their commitment,” he said.

“This is a unique opportunity we have to create thousands of high-end jobs in a unique environment. And again, we stress, we do not want a dormitory that functions only during the day. This will be a living project that is lively both during office hours, in the evenings and at night,” said Dr Gatt.