Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1547166
13 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 18 OCTOBER 2026 NEWS Sanctioning of Siggiewi zoo illegal extension will cost €57,000 The Planning Authority had already sanctioned L-Arka ta' Noe Zoo in Siġġiewi in 2018 against a €50,000 planning gain but a new application seeks approval for a substantial expansion of its animal facilities and a relocated zookeeper residence THE expansion of L-Arka ta' Noe Zoo in Siġġiewi may go ahead subject to a €31,869 fine for illegal development and a further €25,000 planning gain. This is the recommendation for approval being made by the Planning Authority's Develop- ment Management Directo- rate. The application (PA/06369/25) will be decid- ed by the Planning Board at a hearing scheduled for 5 No- vember. It seeks to sanction structures built in deviation from the original permit while authorising additional facili- ties on land outside the devel- opment zone (ODZ). The zoo, proposed by An- ton Caruana Cutajar, was first granted sanctioning permission in October 2018 (PA/2477/16). That permit covered the so-called "thera- peutic zoo" and its associated facilities. The latest application seeks to regularise further unauthor- ised development, including a multipurpose hall, expanded farm animal enclosures, san- itary blocks, a girna or store, and other ancillary facilities. The €31,869 statutory fine must be paid before the new permit is issued. The separate €25,000 planning gain will be transferred to the Planning Authority's fund for environ- mental improvement projects in Siġġiewi. The original 2018 permit had already carried a €50,000 plan- ning gain payment. The new application, en- compasses a significantly ex- panded total site footprint of 32,000sq.m with 18,100sq.m currently dedicated to existing zoo operations. No enforcement order has ever been issued against the irregularities now targeted for sanctioning. More cages, paddocks and parking The proposed additions, most of which have already been carried out, include 3,134sq.m of farm animal cag- es, 2,000sq.m of paddocks, sta- bles and a manure clamp, and a 1,300sq.m parking area for visitors. A further 1,075sq.m are ear- marked for the relocation of the zookeeper's residence. The existing living quarters would be converted into stor- age space. The principal justification given by the directorate for regularising and extending the farm animal cages is the spa- tial re-organisation of the site to provide larger enclosures with appropriate spacing, spe- cifically intended to raise ani- mal welfare standards. The zookeeper residence The residential element ini- tially raised concerns with the Agricultural Advisory Com- mittee, which noted that the applicant did not qualify for a standalone residence under the rural planning policy. The architect subsequently clarified that the application did not seek permission for a new dwelling outside the development zone, but the relocation of living quarters already approved under the 2018 permit. The committee consequently withdrew its ob- jection. The case officer is recom- mending that the relocated residence remain strictly tied to the zoo's operation. Un- der a proposed condition, the right to use the building as a residence would lapse if zoo activities cease. How zoo expanded over the years The site has a longer plan- ning history. An application submitted in 2010 for unau- thorised stables, a horse pool, a manure clamp and animal cages was refused in March 2011, with the development considered unnecessary agri- cultural sprawl. The zoo was developed irregularly over the next decade. But a 2018 permit subse- quently established the au- thorised use of the site as L-Arka ta' Noe therapeutic zoo. The permit was issued despite ERA's objections and warning that this "would re- sult in foreseeable future pres- sures for extensions." During the processing of the latest application, Transport Malta and the Planning Au- thority's transport consultant concluded that visitor traffic would be acceptable, noting that public access is mainly re- stricted to weekends and pub- lic holidays and that the site has few staff. This time around, the Envi- ronment and Resources Au- thority, issued its clearance following consultations on the proposal. In a separate case concerning a zoo, the Planning Authority had in July 2025 approved the regularisation of two decades of illegal development at the Montekristo Estate in Ħal Far- ruġ, Siġġiewi. The sprawling site, mostly Outside Develop- ment Zone (ODZ), belongs to the Polidano brothers and in- cludes a zoo. Sanctioning was approved against a record €1.8 million fine. JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt The latest application seeks to regularise further unauthorised development, including a multipurpose hall, expanded farm animal enclosures, sanitary blocks, a girna or store, and other ancillary facilities Lion's den