Planning Appeals Board to decide Wied Garnaw plant fate

On Wednesday the Planning Appeals Board will take a final decision on the proposal to build a waste sorting plant in Wied Garnaw.

This proposal has already been turned down twice by MEPA's Development Control Commission, in July 2004 and last December. After the initial decision, the developer requested a reconsideration of his application as permitted by law. The case is now up for appeal.

The Save Wied Garnaw Action Group is urging the Planning Appeals Board to uphold the DCC's decisions and to turn down the application for the plant's construction.

According to the Malta Structure Plan, no such development should take place in Wied Garnaw as this valley falls outside the development zone (ODZ).

The draft Malta South Local Plan classifies Wied Garnaw as a "valley protection zone" because of its agriculture and ecological value.

In the summer of 2004, the Save Wied Garnaw Action Group presented a petition signed by about 4,000 people calling on MEPA to put a stop to industrial and commercial developments in Wied Garnaw. Another petition with about 6,000 signatories was presented to parliament.

A reversal of the DCC's decisions would not only be of great detriment to southern Malta's scarce natural environment. It would also send the message that development zone boundaries can be ignored and agricultural land targeted for development.

The Save Wied Garnaw Action Group fully supports waste sorting initiatives but points out that such industrial activities should be sited in industrial estates, not green areas.