OPINION &LETTERS Gudja is not Gatwick

Carriageway close to Bir ix-Xagfira.

ALAN DEIDUN

~ ecent plans unveiled by Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi to bolster Gudja airport's capacity, so as to K match that of Gatwick, might have titillated those enamoured of eco­ nomi: expansion. But it has definitely rai~C. the apprehension levels of residents living in the environs of the airport - espe­ ciaLly 5ince the pledged "investment in taxi­ ways .and other infrastructure" might trans­ late icto considerable ODZ spillover. The concerns are even more legitimate when considering that Malta Industrial Pans (MIP) has been tasked with drawing up plans for the pledged expansion. The MIP enjoys a highly privileged position wit~b the planning process. In fact, any development confined to industrial zones managed by this entity is not subject to the Photos of the rural character of the area around the Gudja airport perimeter, with the· Our Lady scrutiny of a planning application but sim­ of Loreto Chapel currently dominating the skyline. Will touted plans to expand the taxiway and ply of a DNO (Development Notification other infrastructure encroach on such an evocative landscape? All plans should be published. Order1. This is normally not even published in the press so the opinion of statutory con­ suh.ees, such as the Environment and Resources Authority, is not sought! The MIP's involvement begs the question: will tte proposed expansion of the existing infrastructure at Gudja airport be subject to an EIA or will the DNO bypass be resorted to? Some number-crunching reveals the yawning gulf between Gatwick Airport and the oce at Gudja, both in terms of current and projected air traffic volumes. Gatwick, for instance, )landles nearly 50 million pas­ senge::-s annually, with plans to bolster th:s figure to 80 million by 2022. Projections released by Malta International Airport point ~o a record seven million passengers being handled this year, representing a Bir ix-Xagnra view from Ta' Loretu road could pass through there. Ta' Loretu Chapel as seen from Bir ix-Xagnra. remarkable appreciation since the modest volume handled up to a decade ago. But Gatwkk's tally is still a quantum leap away. high-quality agricultural land and the at the former Luqa airport could be availed Probably, the minister used Gatwick as a recently revamped Has-Saptan fuel depot of so as to avoid encroaching on new generic rather than a specific example to along the road. par::els of land. advonte growth and expansion. The postulated land uptake is obviously No aviation expert myself, I sought not the only major anticipated environmen­ advice from aviation enthusiasts. They told tal impact. Noise and air emissions would Rare silver lining me that our airport is almost exclusively obviously rise with the expansion of the The road-widening largesse that our coun­ used. ~y relatively small aircraft, using taxiway and aircraft parking facilities, espe­ try is experiencing has not spared rural shor.-t ::-unways, with other runways servic­ cially if one takes into consideration the areas, with untold damage being wrought ing large planes belonging to just one car­ cumulative impact of other large-scale proj­ to biodiversity from the surfacing and rier. This, coupled with other facts such as ects proposed for the same geographical widening of once modest country lanes. In an average of one landing every 13-14 min­ area (e.g. motorsports track and industrial some instances, concrete was poured only utes at our airport, suggests that current expansion at Hal Far). a few inches away from watercourses, as air traffic volumes don't justify the pro­ With so many questions fielded within in the case documented at Wied 1-Isqof, posed expansion plans. this column, I might be accused of scare­ along the stretch meandering between Unf::lrtunately, one has to resort to the mongering and of pointless hype. The real­ Rat at and Zebbug. rumou mill when, due to failure to publish ity is that in the absence of concrete infor­ Environmental groups, including Ghaqda the proposed plans, the intent remains mation from the authorities, speculation is Sigc.r Mal tin, rightly flagged up the issue to uncle::r. And the rumour mill has it that the the only possibility. Such speculation can Minister Jose 1-lerrera. The ERA obliged Hal Far road linking the industrial estate to only be curbed through transparency, in Infrastructure Malta to retrace its steps and the Gudja airport is set for a major overhaul this case the publication of all plans for rip away the concrete from the widened whi:h might involve a road-widening exer­ fresh taxiways as well as consultation with swathes so they could be replaced with a cise. This, in turn, might spearhead the taxi­ residents who near the airport. veneer of soil, enabling reinstatement of the way expansion by incorporating the two The visjon to turn Malta into an aviation countryside lar..es. seemingly unrelated developments into a hub is a sterling example of diversification Contrary to public perception, such road­ single one. The alternative would be to Some lateral thinking and probably makes for sound economic widening exerc:.ses can be started by virtue decouple the two, expanding the new pro­ " logic, especially since it complements pre­ of the DNO procedure and thus can be posed taxiway laterally and thus relocating skills are sorely vious advances in the same sector (e.g. air­ exempted from the customary dose of the existing two-lane Hal Far road. craft servicing and repairs). The aim of scrutiny normally afforded to planning This prompts a number of questions. needed to avoid those raising legitimate concerns about applications. What, for example, would happen to the the touted developments is not to act as This was a further tooth-cutting exercise walkiJ.gjjoggingjcyling lanes lining the encroaching on ODZ some sort of wet blanket. However, some for :he ERA, which needs to strive to assert main runway used by thousands of people lateral thinking skills are sorely needed to itself further in the local planning and · every day. What would happen to the avoid encroaching on 0 DZ land in the envi ­ development context, despite the manifold Loreto Chapel, dating back to 1676, an land in the environs rons of the airport and to avoid approach­ spokes out there. iconic landmark right on the periphery of ing further contiguous residential areas. the same runway. This is not to mention the 9f the airport For instance, existing under-utilised space AIJN.DEIDUN@GMAILCOM