Environmentalists stormed a Planning Authority meeting today, demanding that the Board stops hearing fuel station application until a review of the relevant policy which is currently underway concludes.

The application being discussed was to relocate the Savoy petrol station located on Rue d’Argens to ODZ land in Luqa.

The proposed site lies just off Triq Hal Qormi, Luqa, an arterial road between Qormi and Luqa. The site in question is also located in front of the entrance to the Luqa industrial zone, known as Hal Farrug. The latter is an industrial estate housing a number of small and medium industries. The site is irregularly shaped and surrounded with a rubble wall around the perimeter of two fields.

The case officer’s report reads: “This is a full development application for the construction of a fuel station and ancillary facilities. The proposed works include: Car wash and drying areas; Pumping station; Tyre service garage; Class 4B Shop (on two floors); VRT Garage; LPG tank; Electrical vehicle charging point; ATM facility; and car parking spaces. Lightweight canopies are being proposed as to cover the fuelling, the car wash and the drying areas.”

The protesters from Kamp Emerġenza Ambjent and Moviment Graffitti stood up when the case began being heard, brought out placards, banners and a megaphone.

They called on the Authority to stop ruining the island for the future generations, to stop “issuing permits like Pastizzi” and for the Board to stop hearing the current application until the fuel station policy review concludes.

The police were called in, however the protesters refused to leave. Eventually the Board suspended the session and moved the meeting to a separate board room down the road. The protestors were kept outside a locked gate, as were sections of the press originally, who were not in possession of a DOI press card. All the press were let in once a PA official identified them. Some pushing and shoving occurred between the protestors and police, and one protestor climbed over the gate, and was escorted out.

PA Board Chairman Vince Cassar, prior to the of the meeting reconvening went out to the gate of the new meeting venue to have a word with the protestors. He told them that they were welcome to join the meeting if they only speak up during the time allocated for the public to make their comments. Activists held however that the meeting should not go ahead considering the policy review is still underway. They were not allowed in.

The meeting then resumed with the press inside. The Planning Directorate, through the case officer, had recommended that the development be approved. However, five board members, out of the ten present, disagreed, and thus the initial vote saw a stalemate. In cases where the board indicates that it will overturn the Planning Directorate’s recommendation, a final vote is taken in another sitting, as was decided in this situation.

The five members against the relocation are chairman Vince Cassar, PN representatives Marthese Portelli, ERA chairman Victor Asciak, Timothy Gambin and Annick Bonello.

In a statement, Kamp Emerġenza Ambjent and Moviment Graffitti said they were carrying out a non-violent direct action during a PA Board meeting. "We are demanding that no applications for fuel stations on ODZ are processed until the policy review promised by the Environment Minister is carried out… There are currently 14 applications for massive so-called petrol stations on ODZ land, four of which have already been approved. In total, these would take up an area more than five times the Floriana granaries. We believe that destroying all this natural and agricultural land for mega complexes that include petrol stations, in a country that is by far the most built up country in the EU, is pure madness and should be halted immediately”, the groups said.

Following the situation, PN MP Jason Azzopardi said: “Over two months ago I urged Environment Minister to freeze all pending applications. No reply. It’s useless closing stable door after horses have bolted. With this rate, the promised revision is a red herring, intended to placate temporarily eNGOs until all applications have been processed. This is a crisis of the Government making which in 2015 deliberately changed the Fuel Station Policy to accommodate massive development on ODZ land with the ruse of “relocation”. He has asked the Parliamentary Environment Committee fo put the fuel stations policy on the agenda next sitting.

AD statement

In a statement today, AD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said: "Graffiti Movement and Kamp Emergenza Ambjent are totally right in protesting during a Planning Authority Board meeting. The protest led to the cancellation of the meeting considering the building of yet another petrol station."

"Permits for petrol stations are being approved left, right and centre. We do not need new petrol stations. What we need is for existing ones to close down. Some months ago the Prime Minister had stated that the Government agrees that petrol and diesel cars should be phased out and that in future all cars should be electric. AD agrees with this proposal. Indeed it proposed this, amongst other measures for a Zero Carbon future, in ethe last general election's Manifesto. AD was the only political party that took this clear position before the election. "

"The policy which permits new petrol stations left, right and centre are an excuse for land speculation. The Planning Authority together with the Government and the Opposition are accomplices  of land speculators. The Planning Authority is not serious. It is a threat to future generations. We have a Planning Authority which doesn't give two hoots about the environment and our quality of life. "