Maghtab residents are opposing the development of a cow farm which Mepa is expected to decide on next Friday.

The farm has already been granted an outline permit but this is being appealed.

In a statement, the residents said that the Mepa was due to take a decision on the farm on Friday, even though appeals on the granting of the farm's outline permit, as well as on an outline permit for a pig farm a few metres away, have not yet been concluded.

The residents said that by recommending "to grant" the permit, the MEPA case officer was anticipating the appeal's process, especially in view of the various statements submitted by various key witnesses during the hearings.

Agriculture and Fisheries director Anthony Gruppetta had stated that "with reference to the swine keeping regulation, that entails a distance of 200 metres, I confirm that I am aware of such regulation, but these regulations have never been applied."

Furthermore, in a subsequent sitting, he said "with reference to my previous statement regarding the application of the regulations, I was not limiting myself just to this application, but this applies to other cases."

Agricultural officer Alden Grima also confirmed that the sites being proposed for the pig and cow farm were both being currently cultivated and the soil quality was good.

The residents said that the new development will be taking up 4,500 m2 of fresh agricultural land.

In his report, the case officer states that the hub of the Maghtab residential settlement lies approximately 500 metres away from this site. In actual fact, the Maghtab settlement is less than 50 meters away from this proposed cow farm, the residents said.