Glasshouses, solar panels proposed alongside petrol pump on Rabat fields

5,320 square metres of fields at Ta’ Buqana, an area of high landscape value in Rabat lying within sight of Mdina cathedral, and situated in the vicinity of the recently built petrol station, are set to be covered by greenhouses and solar panels, proposed by florists Romano Cassar Ltd.

In February the PA had already ignored its own Planning and Environmental directorates to approve 3,720 square metres of greenhouses. Now, 1,600 square metres of additional glasshouses are being proposed by the same company.

The approved application consisted of fourteen 6.5 metre high greenhouses over 3,720 square metres of land, against the advice of the case officer, who insisted that this could compromise long distance views. 

The agriculture advisory committee had called for the greenhouses to be relocated adjacent to the road to minimise the visual impact while the Environment Protection Directorate had warned that the height of the proposed greenhouses was excessive for the area.

The case officer argued that unlike the petrol station which is nearly three metres below the existing soil level, the greenhouses would be more than six metres above the ground. The case officer also noted that no photomontages were presented to assess the impact of the development on long distance views as requested by the planning directorate.

Architect Philip Mifsud replied that the site abuts a  “densely planted” area, which would screen the development and argued that the development is located on the periphery of the area of high landscape value. The development was only approved by the casting vote of Environment Planning Commission chairman Elisabeth Ellul, following a 2-2 tie.

The PA is currently also presently considering an application to add a 60 square metre food and drink establishment to the existing J Micallef petrol station in the area. The ODZ petrol station, which had been re-located from Floriana, was approved in 2007 and had an ATM added to it in 2010.

Another application along the same road has been presented by Baron Carmel Apap Bologna, which envisions the “sensitive” rehabilitation of an existing farmstead over an area of 2,970m2 and its conversion into five brand new dwellings with extensive paved areas and a private service road.  

The proposal includes the restoration of an existing timber door adorned by a coat of arms and the replacement of other derelict rural structures to make room for the new dwellings.  

In May the Environment and Resources Authority objected to the proposed development, noting that it would result in the creation of a new service road and in the “excessive formalisation” of the site and the erosion of its rural character.