Future of Gudja valley 'still in the balance'

Mepa's Planning Appeals Board will again be considering whether or not to allow the construction of a waste sorting plant in Wied Garnaw, limits of Gudja, a fertile agricultural area outside the development zone, the Save Wied Garnaw Action Group warned yesterday.

An application to build a waste sorting plant in Wied Garnaw was lodged with Mepa in 2003. At the time, the site had already been cleared of soil and was being used illegally as a skip depot. Mepa turned down the application twice but the developer lodged an appeal.

Mepa's Planning Appeals Board will inspect the site today as a prelude to deciding on the appeal, the group noted. It called on the board to reject the application and conclude "this long-running saga".

"Granting the application would amount to rewarding the developer for illegally degrading the site as well as further eating away at Malta's remaining open spaces," it said.