Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1253597
9 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 31 MAY 2020 NEWS JAMES DEBONO A strip of land in Maghtab once ear- marked for a massive 3,000sq.m petrol station has been approved for the recon- struction of two farmhouses by the Plan- ning Authority. Abel Energy's appeal against the refusal of its fuel station remains pending, but the PA still approved a permit for the farmhouses' reconstruction. The appeal will be decided on the basis of the dis- carded 2015 fuel station policy. Additionally, the developers' latest per- mit now remains valid for five years – a fall-back should the original refusal be upheld. The PA's case officer assessing the application recognised that the appeal was in conflict with the request to re- construct the two pre-1967 farmhouses that were demolished right after the pet- rol station was approved in 2018, before being revoked by the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal. Both farmhouses will have a basement level and a pool area, with a raised rubble wall on Triq is-Salina. The site is located outside the devel- opment zone, on a triangular-shaped site bound by Triq is-Salina and Trejqet l-Arznu, limits of Naxxar. The area is characterised by agricultur- al land and sparse ODZ buildings. The proposed redevelopment of the farmhouses is in line with the PA's rural policy thas allows the reconstruction of old farmhouses and their transformation into fully fledged dwellings. There was no objection from the Envi- ronment and Resources Authority. Planning saga In 2016, the PA board refused the permit for a petrol station by six votes to three for being in breach of the Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development (SPED). But the EPRT overturned the refusal, arguing that the board failed to explain why SPED policies protecting the rural environment should take precedence over the fuel stations policy, which allow urban pumps to be relocated to ODZ and rural areas. That permit was brought back to the board in December 2017, with board members first indicating they would be refusing it, only to then vote in favour in January 2018. But in April 2019 the permit was re- voked again by the EPRT for procedural reasons brought up in an appeal present- ed by residents, namely the PA's failure to upload documents before the decision was taken. The case was taken back to the Planning board which rejected the appli- cation in July. The reason was the coming into force of a strategic plan for Maghtab, approved in 2018, making it clear that the controversial fuel station policy does not apply to this area. But in an appeal, the developers contend that since the permit was only revoked because of the PA's shortcomings, the PA cannot now invoke a policy which came into place after the permit was issued to turn it down, describing this action as a "violation of the rights and legitimate ex- pectations of the applicant". Maghtab petrol station owners get villas permit JAMES DEBONO A proposed snail farm in Iklin is aiming to produce up to 37 tons of snails annually, to be exported to Europe and beyond for food. Malta Snails, a company owned by Patrick Caruana and Louie Camilleri, are seeking the green light for three large greenhouses in Iklin, on Triq Il-Ħwawar. The technology for the new farm is being provided by Touchstone Snails, which is based in Larnaka in Cyprus and operates through an interna- tional franchise, represented in Malta through Malta Snails. The company has 15 years' experi- ence in the breeding of the snail species Helix aspersa, which is also very common in Malta and is known as the edible snail (għakrux raġel). This species, which forms part of Maltese cuisine, can be found in rocks and in rubble walls and is considered a pest by local farmers. "There is a high de- mand for this type of snail since it has a high nutritional value and is of good quality," the pro- ponents say in a project state- ment presented to the Planning Authority. Snail farming, also known as heliciculture, is the production of snails for human consump- tion, pharmaceuticals, cosmet- ics, and animal feeds. According to Malta Snails, there is an increasing demand for snail meat worldwide. More- over, in countries like France, Italy, and Spain, the supply of snails does not meet the demand at present. In 2014, it was estimated that the total consumption of snails reached an annual 450,000 tons, for a value of $12 billion dollars. Only 15% consumed presently originate from breeding farms. China accounts for 42% of snail imports followed by France (23%), Italy (10%), Belgium (6%) and Greece (4%). The edible snail accounts for 80 per cent of snails being bred in European snail farms. The first stock of snails will be im- ported from Cyprus since one of the franchise re- quirements en- tails that the p r o v e n a n c e and quality of the snails must be certified. The mother stock for the subsequent cycles will be select- ed from local production to en- sure the best quality. The greenhouses are to be set over a 10,000sq.m plot of agri- cultural land, covering an area of 1,440sq.m. The farm will be operated as a closed system to ensure that the snails are con- tained within the greenhouses, not to disrupt agricultural activ- ities in the surrounding area. Breeding snails are contained in pans of soil and low-growing grass to sup- port humid conditions. To ensure a closed sys- tem, the pans' edges will be equipped with a low volt- age electric fence to ensure the snails remain within the pan area. An outer structure will provide an additional layer of protection to stop snails from escaping the greenhouses. No pesticides and fertilisers will be used in any part of the breeding process. The breeding pans' grass has to be trimmed regularly, and since snails are nocturnal crea- tures, they will be allowed to move to the top surface of the pan on a wooden plank to eat at night. The snails will be fed in the evening with a method that minimises food wastage: a grass- based pelleted feed. During the day, the snail will move to the underside of the planks or on curtains to sleep. This behaviour facilitates the ef- ficient feeding of the snails and cleaning of the breeding units. The snail cycle is directly linked to temperature and humidity. The snails generally mate and lay eggs in the late summer. The eggs hatch around Sep- tember and the snails are har- vested in May, when they reach a weight of approximately 10 grams each. Really slow food: Malta farm plans to export 37 tons of snails annually