The interview with the mayor of Għargħur about the proposed fireworks factory expansion only tells part of the story.

It is not the residents of Għargħur village who will be most affected but those on the other side of the valley who are much closer to the factory site. There have been two explosions from fireworks factories in recent years and there is no way to guarantee that another one will not occur.

The residents living along the only access road to the site will be severely affected during the construction work. Triq Santa Katerina is a very narrow road lined with stone walls on both sides, separating the road from very deep former quarries, and not suitable for heavy four- and five-axle construction vehicles.

Even as a result of normal traffic, sections of wall are repeatedly damaged.

The front doors of some residences open directly onto the road. Some houses, including ours, have huge unseen cisterns adjacent to and bordering the road. There is no way to check the safety of these structures to ensure that heavy vehicles are not causing serious damage already. Yes, the expansion is within ‘the parameters of existing policies’ but, according to recent reports in the Times of Malta, the policies were revised to fit the plan and not the other way around.