Żurrieq residents have formed an association and are raising money to file a court appeal against a planning permit greenlighting the development of Nigret farmland. 

The Planning Authority voted unanimously this week to allow development on 12,000 square metres of arable land in Nigret, Żurrieq on Tuesday afternoon. 

The decision, which faced numerous objections, gives developers the possibility to apply for planning permits in an area the size of one and a half football grounds. It follows a similar permit granted last year to another developer in the area. 

The resident’s fight against the development continues, and on Saturday they launched the ‘Għaqda Residenti taż-Żurrieq’ association on Facebook. 

“The beginning of the fight,” the group said.

In the coming weeks, the association will be formalised according to the voluntary laws, and in the meantime, its members have already started collecting the necessary funds to appeal the decision. 

“The target is €3,500, which should cover our legal costs,” it continued. 

“We have to reach the figure by June 20 to file the appeal in time.”

Planning Control applications cannot be appealed before the PA’s appeals tribunal, the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal, so the Żurrieq residents will file a court appeal to the decision. 

Anyone who wishes to join the association on a voluntary basis can contact zurrieqresidents@gmail.com.

“Any kind of contribution is needed, not just the financial ones: we need hardworking people who have Żurrieq close to their hearts, and we welcome any kind of help”. 

Residents fiercely contested the zoning application, with some 1,500 objections to PC/00049/19 filed.

The application allows the applicants, Grand Property Holdings Ltd., to extend existing roads, create a new one, and rezone the entire area for terraced housing. Grand Property Holdings is owned by James Barbara and Jason Mifsud. 

It follows another application, approved in July 2022, to allow development in another large parcel of land in the Nigret countryside. That application was filed by developer Anton Camilleri. 

Apart from the residents, two Labour MEPS, Cyrus Engerer and Alex Agius Saliba have also publicly objected to the zoning change.