ODZ virgin land must ‘remain untouched by development’
Virgin land in the ODZ zones should remain untouched by development, said Malta’s development lobby.
In a short statement issued on Thursday, the Maltese Association of Developers urged the authorities to be “strict and consistent” when assessing development applications in sensitive rural areas.
Any project to replace or change existing and legal buildings in land outside the Development Zone should not lead to an increase in the volume of buildings that already exist, he said.
“This should strictly apply to sites falling within Natura 2000 areas where no increase in footprint or building volume should be allowed when redeveloping such sensitive sites,” the lobby claimed. group.
The MDA did not indicate any particular development in its statement, which however comes amid objections to redevelopment plans of the Municipal Hotel.
Activists who lodged objections with the Planning Authority against those plans accused the developer, Hili Ventures, of deceive the public by claiming that the overall footprint of the project will be smaller than the existing one.
They claim that the proposed project will, in reality, significantly increase the built footprint and increase the density of buildings on the island, which is a Natura 2000 site in its entirety.
The developers say those claims are based on outdated data and plans.
The Environment and Resources Authority gave the thumbs up to the proposal last September. Objectors filed an appeal against that decision.
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