Moviment Graffitti is currently objecting to a proposed development for a solar farm in Mġarr that has rasied serious concern and worry amongst farmers and residents of the area. Objections to the Planning Authority can be submitted via this online form. 

The proposed development is a massive project taking up circa 38 tumoli of arable land – around 6 football pitches – and home to unique features of the Maltese rural landscape: rubble walls, carob trees, garigue, protected flora and fauna, bee colonies and archaeological remains dating back to the Romans. This project would be directly detrimental to the environment of the site. The site also falls within the Area of Archaeological Importance in Mġarr, with archaeological features immediately outside the site, but within the buffer zone.

The proposed development seeks to construct greenhouses and solar panels resting on the greenhouses. Yet the advantage of constructing these solar panels is rendered nul by the fact that the crops, all falling in the panels’ shade, will not receive direct sunlight. Farmers from the area have stated that these conditions will likely result in no crops growing at all, and that this project is using agriculture as an excuse for further development. 

“If such a project is indeed intended to reduce Malta’s carbon emissions, developing ODZ areas runs counter to that very idea,” said the group in a statement. “There is the clear possibility that this solar farm application is being used as a loophole for more development, since it is difficult to get permission to build on virgin land. The Agricultural Advisory Committee within the Ministry of Environment has also raised several concerns about this project, noting the considerable visual impact of the proposal, the excessive land uptake, and the negative effect it will have on the surrounding fields. Moreover, there are concerns about potential damage to the Ta’ Ħaġrat temples due to water seeping in from the ground.”

Moviment Graffitti states that solar panels should be placed on alternative sites such as industrial or government buildings, roofs etc. and absolutely not take up more agricultural land. The Planning Authority itself recommends that solar panels be placed within the building fabric, on roofs, surface car parks and other open and empty otherwise ‘wasted’ spaces. 38 tumoli of Maltese countryside is not and cannot be considered wasted space and it is illogical that such land is taken up when other spaces are far more suitable. 

Additionally, the proposed project goes against Policy 2.11 on Small Scale Photovoltaic Panels. The Policy states that the Planning Authority shall consider solar panels on rural buildings (including greenhouses) only if they are small scale and do not create a visual impact. The proposed solar panels are certainly not small scale and will be a massive eye sore in the middle of the Mġarr countryside, a point which has been mentioned by several residents who have sent their objections to the Planning Authority. 

If the real goal behind this project is to increase environmental sustainability, destroying the existing countryside to make way for this huge project is not the way to go. Farmers, activists and experts have sounded their warning about the detrimental results of this project. It is the Planning Authority’s duty to take heed. 

Il-Moviment Graffitti joġġezzjona għat-teħid ta’ 38 tomna raba’ fl-Imġarr

Il-Moviment Graffitti huwa kontra l-proposta għall-iżvilupp ta’ razzett solari fl-Imġarr li huwa sors ta’ tħassib serju u nkwiet għall-bdiewa u r-residenti taż-żona. Oġġezzjonijiet għal din il-proposta jistgħu jiġu sottomessi lill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar permezz ta’ din il-formula onlajn.

L-iżvilupp propost huwa proġett massiv li se jokkupa madwar 38 tomna ta’ raba’ li jinħadem – id-daqs ta’ 6 grounds tal-futbol – f’żona b’karatteristiċi rurali uniċi bħal ħitan tas-sejjieħ, siġar tal-ħarrub, xagħri, fawna u flora protetta, kolonji tan-naħal u fdalijiet arkeoloġiċi ta’ żmien ir-Rumani. Dan il-proġett ser jikkawża ħsara diretta fuq l-ambjent u jinsab f’Żona ta’ Importanza Arkeoloġika fl-Imġarr bi fdalijiet arkeoloġiċi li jmissu man-naħat ta’ barra tiegħu.

L-iżvilupp propost jinvolvi l-bini ta’ serrer u panelli solari. Il-panelli solari, f’dan il-każ, m’għandhom l-ebda vatantġġ billi l-uċuh tar-raba’ li beħsiebhom ikabbru fihom ser jaqa’ fid-dell tagħhom, jiġiferi l-ħxejjex mhux se jkollhom xemx diretta fuqhom. Il-bdiewa tal-inħawi  jinnutaw li, x’aktarx, xejn m’huwa ser ikun jista’ jikber hawnhekk u li l-proġett huwa biss skuża għal iktar żvilupp.

Fi stqarrija tiegħu, il-grupp saħaq li “żvilupp fuq ODŻ imur kontra kwalunkwe idea li proġett bħal dan maħsub biex Malta tkun tista’ tilħaq il-miri li għandha għat-tnaqqis tal-emissjonijiet tal-karbonju. Hemm ċans kbir li din l-applikazzjoni għall-iżvilupp ta’ razzett solari hija biss skuża għal żvilupp fuq art verġni f’żona fejn diffiċli jinħareġ permess ta’ żvilupp. Il-Kumitat Konsultattiv għall-Agrikoltura tal-Ministeru tal-Ambjent ukoll qajjem tħassib dwar dan il-proġett u saħaq fuq l-impatt viżwali konsiderevoli tiegħu, l-ammont eċċessiv ta’ art li ser jokkupa u l-impatt negattiv tiegħu fuq ir-raba’ tal-madwar. L-ilma żejjed li jnixxi fiż-żona jista’ jikkawża ħsara wkoll fuq it-Tempji ta’ Ħaġrat.

Il-Moviment Graffitti jistqarr li l-panelli solari għandhom jitpoġġew f’postijiet oħra bħal pereżempju binjiet industrijali u tal-gvern u bjut, iżda mhux fuq art agrikola. L-Awtortità tal-Ippjanar stess tirrakkomanda li l-panelli solari jitqiegħdu fin-netwerk eżistenti ta’ bini, bjut, żoni tal-parkeġġ u żoni miftuħa oħra li attwalment huma spazji moħlija. 38 tomna ta’ art agrikola fil-kampanja Maltija ma jistgħu qatt jitqiesu bħala moħlija u ma jagħmel l-ebda sens li jittieħdu għall-panelli meta hemm bosta spazji oħra li huma ferm iktar adatti.

Niġbdu attenzjoni għall-fatt li l-proġett imur kontra d-dokument ta’ politika 2.11 dwar il-Panelli Solari fuq skala żgħira (2.1 Small Scale Photovoltaic Panels). Skont din il-politika, l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar għandha tikkunsudra t-tqegħid ta’ panelli solari fuq bini rurali (inkluż serrer) fejn l-iskala hija żgħira u bla ebda impatt viżwali. Il-panelli solari proposti huma vasti u għandhom impatt viżwali qawwi fuq il-kampanja tal-Imġarr – punt li qajjmu bosta residenti li bagħatu l-oġġezzjonijiet tagħhom lill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar.

Jekk l-għan aħħari tal-proġett hija s-sostenibbiltà ambjentali, li neqirdu l-kampanja biex niftħu għall-iżvilupp mhijiex it-triq li għandna nieħdu. Il-bdiewa, l-attivisti u l-esperti ġibdu attenzjoni għall-ħsara kbira ta’ dan il-proġett u l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar għandha tagħtihom widen.