Two exhausted quarries to be restored for agriculture

Two quarries are to be turned into agricultural land after the Malta Environment and Planning Authority yesterday approved development permissions.

The exhausted quarries at Tal-Mejda, in Mqabba and Ta' l-Iblieq, in Kirkop will be filled with inert waste by construction company Polidano Ltd.

Mepa yesterday said the proposal was in line with the Solid Waste Management Strategy for the Maltese Islands that proposed schemes for the utilisation of privately owned inert waste disposal sites.

Although both the Kirkop and Mqabba councils agreed with the proposal, representatives of both councils raised some issues during a public hearing yesterday.

Kirkop deputy mayor Christian Gauci said in principle the council agreed with the scheme because this would mean an embellishment of the area. However, the council did not agree with the proposed traffic arrangements.

A similar position was taken by the Mqabba council, but in the end both parties agreed with the embellishment.

Architect Marc Bonello stressed that one should look at the long-term benefits of the project.

An environment impact assessment was not needed for either application but conditions were imposed as part of the development permission. Bank guarantees of Lm5,000 for the Mqabba quarry and Lm16,000 for the Kirkop one have to be made.