Żurrieq’s PL-led local council has objected to plans to build a road through government-owned agricultural land.

The road would open up the area for the building of three-storey residences.

In its objection, the local council also said the government had, in the past, committed to allocating at least half of the site for social and community facilities.

The site, in an area known as Tal-Bebbux, is currently tilled by farmers whose families worked the land for generations. It was added to the development zone in 2006, when local plans were updated. 

Times of Malta reported last week that a planning control application is proposing the alignment of a new road through the arable land, connecting Triq il-Kanonku Vinċenz Balzan with Triq l-Imqabba. The application is also proposing residential zoning with a height limitation of three floors plus a semi-basement.

The Lands Authority confirmed with Times of Malta that last year it “gave its consent so that the PA may evaluate the PC application”.

The applicant is Francis Spiteri, who owns Tal-Karmnu Construction Company. His architect is Mauro Debono.

Almost 1,000 objections filed

Nearly 1,000 objections against the plans have been filed since the end of March, with Moviment Graffitti and Għaqda Residenti taż-Żurrieq also objecting to the PC.

In its objection, the council notes “further urbanisation of this area is uncalled for”, saying the area has a “public open space deficiency”.

According to the 2006 rationalisation scheme, any development exceeding 5,000 square metres must allocate at least 15% to public open space – something the proposal does not, the council says.

“The consideration of public roads as public open space goes against the spirit of the law,” the council adds.

It also warns that the proposal “focuses predominantly on maximising buildable floor space and housing units, considerably neglecting necessary urban amentities and open spaces”.

“Such a design approach leads to a substandard built enviornment,” the council says.

The tilled fields in Tal-Bebbux area, Żurrieq.

According to the council, the proposal “threatens significant loss of agricultural land and the surrounding rural characteristics, transitioning it entirely to urbanised space” - something that runs counter to SPED (Strategic Plan for Environment and Development) objectives.

If the site has to be developed, there are other ways it could be better aligned with community needs and government strategies, according to the council.

In its submission, the government notes that discussions in 2014 spearheaded by the former director of estate management at the Government Property Department had proposed allocating at least half of the government-owned land within the site for social and community facilities.

“It is imperative that the PA thoroughly consults all pertinent meeting minutes and official communication to verify commitments made to the local council and ensured that these are honoured and strictly adhered to.

The council “strongly advises that application PC/00068/22 be refused in full by the PA, or totally re-imagined”.