Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1468438
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 22 MAY 2022 NEWS 16 MATTHEW VELLA MOVIMENT Graffitti yesterday led a demonstration of Mġarr residents and farmers against the Electrofix solar farm that is appealing a planning refusal for a massive 6,000sq.m development on agricultural land. Graffitti spokesperson Chris- tine Cassar said demonstrators had two serious bones of conten- tion about the Electrofix appeal. "Electrofix has presented new plans during this appeal, and to us this is unacceptable, because the appeal is a legal process deal- ing with the PA's refusal of the original plans. New plans cannot be presented during an appeal." Electrofix has also claimed it had met or will meet ministries over the solar farm plans. "This would be unacceptable, since there is no place for government ministers in planning decisions," Cassar said. She also called out "dirty moves" by Electrofix by taking up one of the largest commer- cial stands at the government's AgriFair. Agriculture minister Anton Refalo on Friday was pre- sent at the agro-industry fair, but stopped short of condemning such solar farms that take up ag- ricultural land. "Instead of clearly condemning the threat of these projects for farmers and communities, the minister beats about the bush when talking about this solar farm." Mġarr mayor Paul Vella ad- dressed the crowd of some 100 residents said the fields sur- rounding the proposed area of development had been vacated by the farmers because they had been pushed out of these agricul- tural holdings. "This project is massive, it af- fects our water resources, our heritage, and it encroaches into our village. We cannot impart any message of environmental protection to our children, with a project like this, with its visual impact, and the problems it cre- ates to our farming community. There is no way we can allow this project in Malta," Vella said. Vella echoed farmers' com- plaints that even the produce Electrofix said it would grow in- side its greenhouses, were impossible to grow in the conditions created by the solar farm. "If this goes ahead, it will set a bad precedent for Malta – it will be the end of the envi- ronment, and it will dam- age our tourism product." Farmers present ex- plained that the solar panels would be detri- mental to the growth of any produce, since their installation would mean that the fields would not be exposed to direct sunlight and would instead fall in the shade. An archaeologist explained that the project is located in an area of high archaeological im- portance in Mġarr, with sever- al archaeological remains at its outskirts. The project would al- so cause run-off rainwater that would otherwise have been ab- sorbed by soil to flow directly down to the Ta' Haġrat neolithic temples. More than 1,200 objections to the project were submitted to the PA. The latest plans seen by Malt- aToday envisage the erection of 6,528 panels on 18,760sq.m of land, which represents 42% of the 44,500sq.m site. The plans rejected by the PA envisaged 5,784 solar panels erected on 90 greenhouses over 14,100sq.m of land – a land cov- erage of 32%. But while the lat- est plans actually envisage more panels, the layout leaves room for a central plot of agricultural land. Moreover, the height of the panels was reduced from 4.5m to 4m. In their appeal, the developers claim the greenhouses will be used to grow "extensive amounts of crops which will be put on the local market for sale, while the solar activity will also be used to lower the commercial cost of the agricultural produce apart from contributing to the national elec- tricity grid." Plans refer to the growth of vegetables like lettuce, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, au- bergines, ginger, herbs, cabbag- es, strawberries as well as snails. To circumvent the existing policy against solar farms on ag- ricultural land, the company is now claiming that the main aim of their proposal is to "reinvest in the agricultural activity and making the produce more finan- cially viable." They also state that they are willing to accept condi- tions to ensure that should the agricultural activity stop, the so- lar activity is stopped as well. Mgarr farmers and residents in strong show against Electrofix solar farm Mgarr mayor Paul Debono said the local council would not compromise on such a deleterious project as the solar farm being proposed by Electrofix, which will take up agricultural land the size of six football grounds. Christine Cassar (right) led the demonstration The new plans for more solar panels but with a central area of the farm left natural, as presented by Electrofix during the PA appeal. Graffitti said it was unacceptable that new plans were presented at the appeals stage