Heritage Malta is voicing its concern with regard to the effects of a proposed solar farm in Triq San Pietru, Mġarr, on rain catchment in the vicinity of the Ta' Ħaġrat archaeological site.

The national agency for cultural heritage said that it is currently consulting with the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage on this planning application.

The application in question development is a massive project taking up circa 38 tumoli of arable land - around 6 football pitches – in Mgarr, and seeks to fill this land with greenhouses which are topped by solar panels.  It has drawn huge objections.

As a direct consequence of the development that has taken place in Mġarr throughout the last fifty years, the road leading to Ta' Ħaġrat floods with each heavy rainfall. To mitigate this situation, Heritage Malta has in the past few years taken measures to manage the flow of water within the site.

The Mġarr Local Council has also recently submitted an application to manage the flow of rain water in the area. However, Heritage Malta expressed its concern about the effects of the proposed solar farm on rain catchment close to Ta' Ħaġrat.

This archaeological site forms part of a group of local megalithic temples which are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. One of the oldest free-standing monuments of such scale and complexity in the world, Ta’ Ħaġrat is home to two well-preserved structures.

Renowned for its monumental doorway and facade, the site was excavated between 1923 and 1926 with some other minor interventions in 1953 and in the 1960s. The larger of the two buildings dates from the earliest phases of megalithic construction – the Ġgantija phase (3600 – 3200 BC).