The Planning Commission yesterday gave the green light for the construction of a large storage room in an ODZ field despite objections and environmental concerns.

The 29-square-metre development will replace a tiny crumbling structure in a field in a rural part of Mġarr known as Ta’ Bakkar.

The commission decided to approve the application despite concerns raised by conservation NGO Din l-Art Ħelwa.

The NGO had filed an objection to the application saying the applicant’s eligibility to construct the room was “unclear”. It asked the planning authority to halt the process until proof was presented that the small room, which the applicants want to replace, had existed prior to 1978, as claimed. DLĦ asked for proof of the exact construction date.

The Environment Protection Directorate had raised concerns of its own. Chiefly, it said it had already flagged the “proliferation and further intensification of physical development in this significant rural area”.

The directorate pointed out that other major agricultural developments in the surrounding areas, “including illegal ones”, had already adversely affected the visual integrity and character of the area.

It said it was “significantly concerned” by any proposals for new storage buildings in the countryside, particularly in small parcels of land, due to their collective impact on rural areas.

“Cumulatively, these buildings contribute to a significant take up of undeveloped rural land, resulting in further site formalisation and proliferation of built development,” it noted.

The directorate said the small room in the field in question was not even visible in the 1968 survey sheets and that no permit had been issued for this. The room was a new structure not covered by any permits, it noted. The case officer’s report recommended approving the development as it was in line with the relative criteria of the planning authority’s policies. The approval, however, should be given as long as, among other things, it was constructed with weathered stone and did not exceed a height of 3.2 metres, the case officer said.

According to the authority’s local plan, only buildings essential to agriculture will be permitted in such areas. However, these would have to prove they will not have any adverse effects on water supply, soil and landscape.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.