NGOs on Monday denounced 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 NGOs said in a statement.
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 [email protected].
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