Magħtab residents file judicial protest over pig farm permit

Two families who reside in Magħtab yesterday filed a judicial protest claiming that earlier this month the planning authority had illegally approved a pig farm directly behind their property.

John and Geraldine Portelli and Marco and Sandra Borg filed their protest against the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mepa) in the First Hall of the Civil Court.

They explained that, on April 10, the Mepa board met to discuss the issue of an outline development permit for a pig fattening facility situated on a site adjacent to their property.

Access to the facility was between their residences. The residents claimed that the application was tackled in an illegal manner for various reasons: the principles of administrative justice had been breached; the planning directorate had presented the facts of the case and their justifications to the Mepa board in an arbitrary manner without allowing for their verification; policies were applied in a selective manner and planning policies protecting the local amenities and their use were not even considered; and the board did not take into account the fact that the proposed development could pose a serious public health threat. The two couples said that this illegal process led to the approval of the permit that would undermine their fundamental right to enjoy their property and cause them to suffer big material losses by making their homes uninhabitable.

They also suffered moral losses because they were ignored during the decision-making process even though they live only a few metres away from the site.

They called on Mepa to revoke the permit and reconsider the application. They also held the authority liable in damages.

Lawyer Tanya Sciberras Camilleri signed the protest.