Will Wied Garnaw be saved?

Mepa's Planning Appeals Board is today due to take a final decision on whether to allow the construction of a waste sorting plant in Wied Garnaw, in the limits of Gudja.

The Save Wied Garnaw Action Group said it hoped the board would conclude this case once and for all with a rejection of the appeal. "This will send a clear message that the valley should be safeguarded for future generations," it said.

This case has been going on since 2004, when an application was first submitted to build such a plant. The site in question is a highly-fertile valley outside the development zone (ODZ), which has been designated by Mepa as a protected area in its draft South Local Plan due to its agricultural and ecological value, the action group said.

The application was refused by Mepa in August 2004. However, the applicant requested a reconsideration which Mepa once again refused in December 2005. The developer appealed in January 2006.

The Planning Appeals Board has already held a hearing on the case but put off its decision in order to carry out a site inspection.