The Planning Authority has turned down an application to build a sheep farm in rural Mġarr after concerns that it could cause a ripple effect for similar developments.
Application PA/05308/23, filed by Albert Picco and architect Tancred Mifsud, proposed the development of a sheep farm on a 4,612 square-metre plot off Triq tal-Armaġġ.
However on Tuesday morning, the Planning Commission followed the case officer’s recommendation and refused permission for the development.
The Commission’s chairman, Martin Camilleri, said the site in question is not ideal for a sheep farm, pointing out that is close to land outside the developable zone (ODZ) and that access to the land is limited.
Camilleri, along with PA Commission members, Frank Ivan Caruana Catania and Joel Fenech all voted against the application.
Speaking during the virtual hearing, architect Mifsud said following the case officer's request for more information on the development, he revised the application’s layout. He justified the need for a paved area, explaining that it would be used as a ‘disinfected bay’.
He said the applicant, Albert Picco, wanted to continue his education in raising sheep. Mifsud said he is also ready to revise the development.
Picco had previously told Times of Malta that he had no intention of turning the land into a residence or mega-development, and was simply pursuing a love of cheese making.
The application attracted close to 100 objections, many flagging their concerns about the development of a sheep farm on ODZ land and raising fears it could create a ripple effect to allow similar applications in the future.
Residents also expressed their concerns that the development would result in the unnecessary take-up of agricultural land outside the development zone. Others also raised how private dwellings would be heavily impacted by farm smells introduced in the area.
Heritage NGO Din l-Art Ħelwa had also objected to the development, claiming that the development would be in breach of planning policies that aim to protect the arable land and the rural landscape.
The Mġarr local council and the Environment and Resources Authority were among the others who objected to the application.
Planning applications for the development of new farms have been flagged by activists as ripe for abuse.
Developers, some fear, might seek to obtain permits to build farms in valleys and the countryside, only to later transform the structures into storerooms, residences or commercial projects.