The decision was taken at a council meeting held on Tuesday evening, following a story carried in last Monday’s issue of The Malta Independent.

Speaking to this newspaper, Attard mayor Norbert Pace confirmed that the moving of the trade fair grounds to Ta’ Qali was one of the points on the agenda of Tuesday’s meeting.

He said the council decided to ask the Malta Trade Fair Corporation for a meeting to discuss the proposed development. Mr Pace said that more than the level of noise and other inconveniences the residents will have to suffer, the council’s biggest concern was the traffic problems that would be created if the re-location of the trade fair grounds takes place. He said the council did not discuss the details of the proposed development and, in fact, confirmed that it did not know the extent of the development, neither did it know over how many hectares of land the proposed development will extend. Mr Pace also said that the council did not have, and neither had it seen, a copy of the plans of the proposed development. Asked whether the council was worried about the parking problems this development would create if it is accepted by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, Mr Pace said the council did not think that would be a great problem because part of the proposed development includes parking facilities.

The Trade Fair Corporation, as reported by TMID last Thursday, has said that it intends to meet all the stakeholders concerned, including local councils, before it finalises its relocation plans. The corporation must move out of Naxxar in summer 2007, when its lease on the Naxxar grounds expires, and it intends to move to Ta’ Qali.

The corporation added that there will be no traffic problems in Attard because the Ta’ Qali area where the new trade fair grounds will be situated are well-served by four arterial roads that do not touch Attard.