ERA Report on the Environmental Impact Assessment and Appropriate Assessment PA 05277/96: To develop Ta' Ċenċ area into Malta's first 'Heritage park' and 'Multi - ownership tourist hotel development', at, Ta' Ċenċ , Ta' Ċenċ , Sannat, Gozo 1.0 Introduction NB: It should be noted that this report is to be read in conjunction with previous EPD r eports /documentation on the EIA process and AA process, however ERA final position presented in this report supersedes any previous position on the same development application. 1.1 Description of the Proposed Development The proposal was originally made in 1996 through an application for an outline developme nt permission submitted to the Planning Authority entitled To Develop Ta’ Ċenċ Area into Malta’s First ‘Heritage Park’ and ‘Multi - ownership Tourist Hotel Development’ (PA 05277/96). The applicant’s original proposal aimed to subdivide the Ta’ Ċenċ Are a into seven zones (Zones 1 – 7 as per Figure 0 - 6 in the 2015 EIS Coordinated Assessment) , and included the following components: The refurbishment and extension of the existing 5 - star Hotel Ta’ Ċ en ċ; The development of a new 70 room 5 - star Sannat Hotel with underground parking facilities; The construction of 36 villas and terraced dwellings located to the north of Hotel Ta’ Ċ en ċ in Tal - Gruwa, referred as North Development; A Heritage Park and Protected Areas, occupying 60% of the site area; The construct ion of an Interpretation Centre; and, The construction of 38 - low rise villas overlooking M ġarr ix - Xini. Following discussions, the proposal was then amended in 2015, with an amendment to the zoning regime as follows (Figure 0 - 8 in the 2015 EIA Coordinated Assessment refers): Zone A (Formerly Zone 1) – Hotel Area Zone B (Formerly Zone 2, 3 and 6) – Protected Areas Zone C (Formerly Zone 7) – Use to be determined Zone D (Formerly Zone 4) – Villa Area Zone E (Formerly Zone 5) – Kantra Beach The EIS Addendum notes that the 2015 zoning regime presented above was adopted because specific parts of the Ta’ Ċenċ Area require d the design and adoption of particular management systems depending on the specific chara cteristics of each zone. The currently proposed project consists in the construction of additional accommodation units and facilities in the environs of the existing hotel complex and fifteen (15) additional villas to the east of the site, in the vicinity of a grou p of existing detached villas. An interpretation centre is also proposed in the vicinity of the hotel complex, but encroaching onto currently open, undeveloped land . The main changes fr om the 2007 proposals discussed above are as follows: (1) The 2007 EIS assessed a proposal for a new 3 - floor, plus basement, all - season 140 - bed luxury hotel (which was to be called Sannat Hotel) . This hotel was to be located to the SW of Hotel Ta’ Ċenċ and was planned to be the landmark building of th is new tourism complex in the hotel area. The Sannat Hotel is now being replaced in the 2015 amended plans by the 1 extension to Hotel Ta’ Ċenċ . This hotel extension is being designed to provide luxury suites and a presidential suite for up - market clients. (2) The zoning regime as proposed in 2007 was a ltered in the current proposals (Figures 0 - 7 and 0 - 8 refer) , as highlighted above. (3) The number of new villas in the Villa Area has been reduced from 36 to 15, with t he footprint of the villa area being reduced by circa 25%. 1.2 T imeline of events Discussions on the development of the Ta’ Ċ en ċ area date back to 1993, following the approval of the Structure Plan for the Maltese Islands and specifically its Policy TOU10 . 1 The development planning application submitted to develop Ta' Ċ en ċ area (PA 05277/96) into 'Malta's first Heritage P ark' and 'multi - ownership tourism development' was validated in October 1996. Following discussions with the Planning Authority o n the original plans (which included the development of a golf course), in January 2001, the Planning Authority requested the applicant to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in accordance with Category I, Schedule I of the former EIA Regulatio ns, 2001 . Terms of Reference for the EIS were communicated accordingly. Following further discussions on the development, a revised proposal was submitted in January 2005. In accordance with these proposals, the first draft EIS was submitte d in November 2005. The EIS was reviewed and comments on this draft were forwarded by MEPA to the EIA Coordinator on 5 th April 2006. Responses to these comments were submitted to MEPA and following a revised proposal , a second draft EIS was presented to ME PA on 2 May 2007. The EIS was certified on 20 July 2007. The EPD Report on the EIA was finalised in October 2007 and was referred to the then MEPA ’s Planning Directorate, wh ich in turn finalised the DPAR for the proposed development, with a recommendation for refusal. In response to the DPAR, the applicant/architect indicated that a revised version of the plans would be submitted to MEPA in the light of the DPAR comments. In June 2008, the architect communicated to MEPA stating that all the requested docum ents and information on the proposed development had been submitted. In August 2008, an official reply from MEPA informed the applicant that MEPA would be assessing the fresh plans submitted on the 3 rd July 2008, upon compliance with the following: 1. Submis sion of a covering letter that would make clear that the submissions are in response to the concluded DPAR; 2. The Master Plan should only make reference to 3 zones [i.e. (i) Hotel area; (ii) Heritage Park and incorporated protected areas; and (iii) remaining areas which are to retain the current 1 POLICY TOU 10: The area of Ta' Cenc, Gozo, from east of the Mgarr ix - Xini inlet to the village of Sannat, will be further studied as a potential demonstration project of high quality for both: 1. Malta's first national park, (World Conservation Union definition) covering the majority of the area 2. Malta's first multi ownership tourism hotel development, in the vicinity of the existing T a' Cenc hotel The national park will have a nature emphasis, including both the protection and enhancement of the natural environment and other heritage items, particularly archaeological remains; a limited amount of careful restocking with species of flo ra and fauna indigenous to the Maltese Islands; a visitor centre and interpretive facilities. The term `multi ownership tourism hotel' is described in Section 19. A major feature of both the hotel and the national park is that they will have professiona l m anagement acting on behalf of all owners, and which at Ta' Cenc will be a single management company responsible for both the park and the hotel. Further studies of this potential will require a particularly thorough assessment of on and off site impacts, i ncluding traffic, utility services, recreation, labour requirements, skills provision, materials supplies, as well as impacts on the natural and cultural heritage, and measures by which adverse impacts will be overcome. The height of buildings will be rest ricted to one and two storeys with the exception of traditional taller features such as stone built windmills, lookout towers, domes, and spires. The blending of the hotel into the landscape, and the use of the best traditional features which are character istic of Gozo, are of particular importance. 2 existing legal uses]. After each designation, reference should be mad e (in brackets) to the zones in the previous submission and EIA. Reference to Zone 4 as “Pending Court Decision” should be removed; and, 3. The interpretation centre should be included within the boundary of the hotel (Zone 1) as previously requested. Furth er to the above, MEPA also requested an update to the EIS (in view of the new submissions), as well as an Appropriate Assessment with respect to protected species and habitats listed in the respective EU Directives for habitats and birds. The relevant Term s of Reference were referred to applicant on the 29 th September 2008. In October 2008, the Ta’ Ċ en ċ area was designated as a Special Area of Conservation – Candidate Site of International Importance (INT 035. Ta’ Ċ en ċ Area) and Special Protection Area (SPA 010. Gozo Coastal Cliffs 4/4: Ta’ Ċ en ċ ) as per Government Notice 859 of 2008. Following the request for the update to the Environmenta l Impact Statement (EIS) and the Appropriate Assessment (AA) in September 2008, no submission of studies or docum ents had been rece ived by the Directorate (other than occasional correspondence related to specialist consultants received from the EIA Coordinator). In this regard, a reminder was sent to the applicant in June 2011, with a deadline of thirty (30) days. In July 2011, the architect responded to this reminder informing MEP A that the EI S update was still ongoing. Following the expiry of this deadline, MEPA issued a final reminder on the 1 st August 2011, with an extended deadline of 15 th September 2011. The final version of the update to the Environmental Impact Statement (in the form of an Addendum) and the Appropriate Assessment (AA) was received on the 9 th December 2015 and issued for a 30 - day public consultation. A public hearing was also held on the 22 nd February 2 016 at the Sannat Local Council (Appendix I to this report includes a copy of the public hearing minutes ) 2.