The Planning Authority on Thursday said a "large parcel of land" designated for industrial development in Ħal Far may "potentially" be re-zoned to become a buffer zone to safeguard the adjacent Natura 2000 area.

The PA has issued a draft policy review for the site.

It said in a statement the primary purpose of this policy review was to keep harmful industrial development as distant as possible from the area, which is "of high environmental value".

However, the authority is also proposing that a small area be designated for low-impact sports.

The site lies adjacent to the western coastal cliffs of the Maltese Islands near Wied Żnuber. These cliffs, including Wied Żnuber, are part of a larger Natura 2000 site, which area is protected for its ecological Importance and high landscape value.

In February 2022, Times of Malta reported on plans to turn a stretch of land off Wied Żnuber into an airstrip for model aircraft.

In the following weeks, Għaqda Storja u Kultura Birżebbuġa, Moviment Graffitti, the Birżebbuġa local council, farmers, a group of Birżebbuġa residents and 14 other NGOs, including BirdLife Malta and Din l-Art Ħelwa voiced concern over the development. 

An agreement, signed between the authorities and the Ħal Far Model Flying Association, made public by Times of Malta, for the relocation of a model plane airstrip to the site acknowledged the new area’s “close proximity to the Natura 2000 site”.

Following the public outcry, Robert Abela claimed “there will be no development in Wied Żnuber”.

On Thursday the PA said that through the partial review of the South Malta Local Plan, it was proposing that the area of the site which lies adjacent to the Natura 2000 site, and which overlaps the scheduled archaeological buffer zone, be rezoned from an industrial area to an ‘Area to be Conserved and Restored’.

Meanwhile, the remaining portion of the site adjacent to the existing committed industrial facilities, away from the coastal cliffs, is being rezoned from industrial to an ‘Area for Low Impact Sports with Green Open Space’.

The site. Photo: Planning Authority

The PA is urging people and organisations to send their representations on this policy review via halfar.review@pa.org.mt

Submissions must reach the authority by July 24.