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13 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 21 SEPTEMBER 2025 NEWS JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt ERA greenlights olive oil factory in Dingli cliffs THE Environment and Resourc- es Authority (ERA) has issued its clearance for the development of an olive oil production facility in- stead of a long-disused fireworks factory in Dingli. The site is nestled in the cliff face and the fireworks factory stopped operations in 1988. The develop- ment is being proposed by Pulvich Explosives Industries Ltd, owners of the site. The development still requires a planning permit from the Plan- ning Authority. The existing building is locat- ed in a Natura 2000 site at Rdum tal-lfhar, off Triq Panoramika, overlooking terraced agricultural fields. The site is accessible through a public side road branching off Triq Panoramika. A section of this access road gave way when a boul- der from the cliff fell onto the road causing considerable damage. The proposed works will remain entirely within the footprint of the existing buildings, which covers about 490sq.m. The new struc- tures will occupy a slightly smaller area. The project also entails the con- struction of a small retail shop and an adjacent 113sq.m parking area. The shop will be stocked with lo- cally sourced produce including the olive oil produced on site and will be built instead of the ruins of structures build along Triq Pano- ramika years ago. While a PAPB permit was traced for the factory itself these structures were not permitted. A steel structure that acted as a winch to unload explosives to and from the fireworks factory up to Triq Panoramika, will be used during construction works but will be dismantled and taken off- site to an authorised metal scrap- page yard after the completion of works. The site lies within a Level 2 Ar- ea of Ecological Importance and is adjacent to several terrestrial and marine Natura 2000 sites. De- spite this sensitive context, ERA concluded that the project "is not expected to have a significant ef- fect in terms of visual amenity and landscape character". ERA also asked the developer to engage a competent environ- mental monitor during the works to ensure that works do not spill over to the surrounding coun- tryside. The monitor will oversee construction, ensure adherence to mitigation measures, and prompt- ly report any environmental or ge- ological discoveries. Hydrologically, the site sits on Upper Coralline Limestone and Blue Clay, overlapping the Malta mean sea level aquifer and bor- dering the Rabat-Dingli perched aquifer. But ERA concluded that the limited excavation work re- quired poses no significant risk to groundwater or geological stabili- ty. Operational impacts are also expected to be minimal. Traffic, noise, and air quality effects will be low due to the facility's modest scale. Machinery and equipment will be enclosed and no external lighting is planned. The surrounding cliffs and rocky areas provide habitats for pro- tected birds, bats, plants, and ma- rine species. ERA concluded that works confined to the existing building footprint are unlikely to affect these species. ERA's final assessment states that the environmental impacts of the proposed olive oil facility are "unlikely to be significant," and no further assessment under the EIA Regulations or the Flora, Fauna and Natural Habitats Protection Regulations is required. Tourist complex proposed instead of Kercem fireworks factory A planning application has been submitted to demolish a fire- works factory in Kerċem and replace it with a tourist complex comprising seven self-catering bungalows with pools. The proposed development also includes a reception, break- fast area, and extensive land- scaping with trees and shrubs. The application describes the factory as "legally established." However, an enforcement or- der against three workshops and other facilities not covered by a permit has been pending since 1999. As things stand, the develop- ment has to be approved under the rural policy of 2014, which generally only allows new dwell- ings instead of structures that already served as residences in the past. However, the Rural Policy ap- proved in 2014 does allow ex- ceptions for new uses if they result in a "wider environmental benefit" and can be adequate- ly serviced by the existing road network. Moreover, approval would mean that a development which, by its very nature, had to be lo- cated Outside the Development Zone (ODZ) for safety reasons, is being used as a stepping stone for a more lucrative tourism project. Gozo also has a number of pending fireworks factory appli- cations including three pending ones in the neighbouring village of Gharb. The application was presented by Clyde Bantick in his personal capacity. Bantick who declared owning the site, is the Group General Manager at Blue Clay Collection, which forms part of the Agius Group of companies, a company whose directors in- clude property developer Mark Agius. The plans were submitted by architect Alex Bigeni, one of the most sought-after architects for ODZ developments in Gozo. The development is being pro- posed in the vicinity of a protect- ed watercourse known as Wied il-Mans in a pristine area. The fireworks factory in Kercem Photomontage (top) of how the olive oil factory will look. (Right) The site as it looks now