An appeal against the refusal of a massive solar farm in Mgarr has been filed, with the minds behind plans to take up almost eight football pitches worth of Outside Development Zone agricultural land seeking to get the PA's verdict overturned.
The application which is the subject of the appeal was the bigger one of two filed by the same applicant, Joseph Schembri, a shareholder of local company Electrofix Group, last year.
It was unanimously rejected by the Planning Authority on 3 March after the case officer recommended its refusal and after significant protests from locals and NGOs alike.
The site of the proposal consists of an area mostly characterized by a mix of cultivated agricultural land and fallow/abandoned fields, in an area known as Tar-Raghad.
The total site area is of circa 44,500 m² and the surrounding areas consist largely of agricultural land and is neighbouring the Mgarr Development Zone. Part of it is located within an Area of Ecological Importance.
The application proposed the construction of 90 greenhouses, covering a total area of approximately 14,100 m² and the installation of 5,784 Photovoltaic Solar Panels (PV Panels) on the roof of the proposed greenhouses.
Explaining the reasons for their appeal, the appellants said that they had asked the PA Board to suspend the application so that they could amend the plans following their discussions with the Department of Agriculture, the Trade Department within the Economy Ministry, and the Energy Ministry, but lamented that such a request had been turned down.
The appellants attached revised drawings which they say indicate a lowered height of the greenhouses to 4 metres, and pointed out that the total development will have a site coverage of 42%.
"The proposed greenhouses will be used to grow extensive amounts of crops which will be put on the local market for sale, whilst the solar activity will be used to lower the commercial cost of the agricultural product and at the same time supply the national grid with electricity," the appellants said.
"Through this intervention the engineering section of the agricultural activity will financially enhance the agricultural process, reducing the production cost through the electrical subsidy," they continued.
The appellants said that the green houses will be placed into the ground using small concrete plinths, which means that minor land disturbance will take place, adding that an archaeological monitor can be engaged to make sure that any remains are not damaged.
"Thus the proposed development is purely to re-invest in the agricultural activity and making the produce more financially viable," the appellants said.
The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) was among the objectors, saying that the proposal was concerning from an environmental point of view, because the height of the proposal greenhouse was excessive, and that the proposal ran counter to the Solar Farm Policy of 2021 because the site is located in open countryside.
There were also protests because the project could result in large volumes of runoff water ending up in the street, which could have a detrimental effect on the World Heritage Sites of Ta' Hagrat and Skorba close by.
The first hearing of the appeal will take place on 24 May, before a tribunal chaired by Joseph Borg.
The same applicant - Joseph Schembri - filed a nearly identical application on an ODZ site measuring 27,104 square metres - around four football pitches - in the limits of Burmarrad.
That application was also the source of consternation among farmers and locals alike, and is still awaiting a recommendation from the Planning Authority before it is decided upon.
Malta's solar farm policy prohibits the construction of solar farms on agricultural land, and Malta's now former Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia had encouraged investors to consider sites such as abandoned quarries, disused landfills, industrial land, roofs, and car parks for such projects instead.
The Rural Policy meanwhile only allows authorities to consider "small-scale photovoltaic panels" on top of greenhouses.