The Nationalist Party today criticised what it described as a “fictitious” revision of the fuel station policy, saying it is all in favour of the safeguarding of agricultural and ODZ land, and against land speculation.
Referring to a meeting of the parliamentary committee for the environment and planning held last Monday, the PN said that the previous time that the fuel station policy had been discussed was in April 2018.
Giving a timeline, the PN said that a year later, on 30 April 2019, the Planning Authority published the policy revision, with the consultation period closing on 14 June.
In the meantime, the PA continued to process applications for fuel stations based on the existing policy.
The policy, as revised, is not stipulating a minimum distance between one fuel station and another that is relocated, is allowing the relocation of stations on ODZ and agricultural land, is permitting having fuel stations up to 3,000 square metres in size on ODZ land, and is also allowing a change of use of commercial premises to fuel stations on ODZ land.
The PN said the government refused to explain what will become of the fuel stations when only electric cars will be allowed to be used, as is the government’s long-term plan.
Neither did the government explain how a very small petrol station could be relocated to a much bigger space on agricultural land.
In Monday’s meeting, the PN had objected to this fictitious revision. The PN said that the positions taken in the meeting show that while it is favour of safeguarding the environment and defending ODZ land, the government was allowing more agricultural land to be destroyed.
