A decision on a proposed fireworks factory in fields outside Kerċem has been put off once again over an issue with the plans.

The application, which has been recommended for approval despite staunch opposition from residents and nearby farmers, has been repeatedly postponed since February awaiting clearance from the Explosives Committee, which has since granted its go-ahead.

But at a heated Planning Commission hearing on Tuesday, attended by numerous objectors, the board noted that the planned factory’s emergency exits opened onto farmers’ properties and instructed the project architect to amend the plans.

Farmers argue that the factory, proposed in a designated agricultural area close to the hamlet of Santa Lucija, would limit access to their fields and prevent them from working due to the dangers associated with it.

They also expressed fears over the possible contamination of their land by perchlorates from fireworks, and said the area, outside development zones, was characterised by indigenous trees and plants which would be harmed by the project.

The Kerċem local council, the Environment and Resources Authority and eNGOs are also objecting to the project.