A number of Żurrieq residents have stuck yellow stickers on their doorbells warning candidates for the European and local elections to stay away unless they are against two major developments in the area.

With the June 8 election approaching, candidates are visiting homes to win over voters.

But in Żurrieq, some residents have stuck a bright yellow sticker on their letter box and doorbells reading: “Dear candidate, do not knock on this door unless you spoke up against development in Nigret and tal-Bebbux.”

Last year, residents fiercely contested an application to allow development on 12,000 square metres of arable land in Nigret, Żurrieq, with some 1,500 objections filed against PC/00049/19.

Yet, the Planning Authority voted unanimously to allow the Żurrieq farmland to be developed.

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

Żurrieq Residents’ Association had urged the government to designate the site as a community open space.

The land in Nigret that residents wanted to be turned into a community space - but will be developed instead. Photo: Jonathan Borg

This week, Times of Malta reported on yet another project in Żurrieq, this time how the government confirmed it has given the go-ahead for a road to be built through agricultural land, opening up the area for the building of three-story residences.

Farmers whose families have tilled the land for generations told Times of Malta that they were aware that the area, once ODZ, had lost development protection in 2006 through the rationalisation exercise by the government.

Yet, the arable land, which is also lined with trees, was still cultivated and the Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development mandates the protection of “good quality agricultural land from development”.

Times of Malta was informed that “anonymous activists” have been handing out the stickers to residents. 

They are similar to the yellow stickers Marsascala residents placed on their doorbells back in 2022, warning politicians to stay away unless they planned to oppose the marina plans.

Later that year, Prime Minister Robert Abela dropped the marina plans.