‘If PA approves fuel station, it will be admission that it is there to serve certain developers’

If the Planning Authority approves plans for a new fuel station in Luqa, it will be an admission that the authority is only there to serve a few developers, Moviment Graffiti head Andre Callus said this morning.

Representatives from nine environmental groups met outside the Planning Authority in protest of a planning application for the fuel station.

The last meeting on the proposed station saw activists take over part of the Planning Authority meeting with placards, speakerphones, chants, banners and music. The meeting had to be suspended and moved to another building before resuming due to the activists. The initial vote ended in a deadlock with the Chairman having the casting vote, resulting in the intention to overturn the Planning Directorate's approval recommendation being shown by the board.

Security for this meeting is heavier than this newsroom has seen in the past, with airport style checks even on members of the media at the gate entrance.  Bag searches with the use handheld metal detectors were carried out.

The application, if approved, will provide for the relocation of the Savoy petrol station located on Rue d'Argens in Gzira to Outside development Zone 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.

Today, representatives from Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Din l-Art Ħelwa, Ramblers Association, Moviment Graffitti, BirdLife Malta, Friends of the Earth (Malta), Żminijietna, Nature Trust (Malta) and Kamp Emerġenza Ambjent showed a united front before the decision expected later today, arguing that the PA should refuse this application.

They argued that the ERA had said it was against this station, adding that the board members already voted against, thus meaning that this second final vote, should go the same way. In cases where the bard indicates it will overturn the recommendation (in this case to grant) by the Planning Directorate, a final vote is needed on another day.

They argued that a similar incident, with the Maghtab petrol station, saw the bard vote against in the initial vote, and then in favour in the final vote. "Thus the fear that certain powers operating behind the scenes can determine the PA Board's final decision is real, based on what we have seen in several past cases." The representatives also said that the size of the petrol station exceeds current policy.

The NGOs also mentioned that the final decision on this station was already postponed once, on the same day to other stations were refused, highlighting that they hope this was not a tactic used to reduce public anger at the situation.

Callus highlighted another application set to be heard today regarding a Mosta station, and said that it should also be refused.

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