SmartCity Malta has formally submitted the Outline Planning Application for the development at Ricasoli to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mepa). The submission includes a full Environmental Impact Assessment and Traffic Impact Assessment.
Over the past months, the members of the joint venture, namely the Government of Malta and SmartCity, have worked hard to refine the original master plan and ensure that the project is further aligned with the national aspirations of creating a knowledge-based township to serve as the primary vehicle for the establishment of a world-class ICT and media industry in Malta. The outcome of this refinement has led to an accentuated bias towards a significantly larger ICT and media business park compensated by a smaller residential component.
In fact, in the Outline Planning Application submitted on 22 April to Mepa, SmartCity Malta has applied for up to 158,500 sq. m of business space in the ICT and Media Business Park, which represents an increase of 54 per cent over the business space, which SmartCity Malta is contractually bound to develop. On the other hand, the gross floor area of the residential component has been reduced by 30 per cent, down to 60,000 sq. m. In terms of the Outline Planning Application, the residential component makes up 19 per cent of the total gross floor area of the project
The Outline Planning Application also provides for a huge public open space of 118,000 sq. m, which shall serve as a primary recreational area for the neighbouring communities of SmartCity Malta.
SmartCity chief executive officer and Board member of SmartCity Malta and SmartCity Kochi Fareed Abdulrahman commented that the submission “was another important milestone in progress towards promoting SmartCity Malta as an IT/Media destination. We are strongly committed to creating a world-class knowledge-based township in Malta and the structure of our submission is a clear proof of our intentions. This submission is the result of a lot of work carried out as a team by the two members of the joint venture, SmartCity and the government”.
SmartCity Malta and SmartCity Kochi are the first two projects to be part of the global network of knowledge-based industry townships that SmartCity seeks to develop. This global network will foster productive linkages and tap synergies between knowledge-industry centres worldwide, thereby contributing to economic development.