Siġġiewi mayor Karol Aquilina pledged to continue fighting against the government’s planned construction of 12 cow farms close to Dar tal-Providenza, after the Mepa appeals board rejected the local council’s appeal against the project.

“I will do anything to stop the project,” Dr Aquilina told the Times of Malta following yesterday’s decision. “The council is unanimous on this subject and we are very disappointed with the decision.”

The mayor added that the council would be meeting imminently and was now considering filing a further appeal with the Court of Appeals.

Siġġiewi mayor Karol Aquilina

The project, which was first proposed in 2007, involves shifting farms from around the island to an area of around 70,000 square metres – 29,000 of which is virgin land – in the San Niklaw zone on the outskirts of Siġġiewi.

Two of the farms will have a capacity for 80 cows, three for 59 each, and the seven farm units will have a capacity of 47 cows each.

The outline permit approved by the planning authority in 2014 – despite the local council’s objections – also includes a centralised dairy waste digester and waste conversion facility.

The third-party appeal by the Siġġiewi council was based on the negative effects the project would have on the nearby Dar tal-Providenza home for persons with disabilities. Doctors who provided testimony for the council’s objection noted the possibility of considerable health problems for residents as a result of the farms’ proximity.

The council also raised issues over the site selection process undertaken by the government, which it described as “flawed”, and the presence of a historical airfield in the area.

The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage also previously raised objections over the airfield – which is described in the environmental impact study for the project as “the last World War II aerodrome, which still stands a chance of being preserved” – although the project was subsequently re-designed to mitigate the impact on historical features on the site.