Żabbar cemetery extension set for approval

The Planning Authority is set to approve a significant expansion of the Żabbar Cemetery, through the construction of 1,060 new graves, 100 urns, and four chapels.

The expansion is being proposed by private developer Alex Tanti on behalf of ALT Limited which will finance the project by selling the new graves. The company will be responsible for the operation and management of the extension.

The plan will increase the cemetery’s footprint from 3,670sq.m to 4,800sq.m on land already designated for this purpose in the local plan.

The application also includes a periphery boundary wall, new steel gates and a link between the existing cemetery and the new extension. The case officer is recommending approval, and the final decision is set for 22 July.

According to a report presented by the developers’ environmental consultant ADI Limited, the Żabbar cemetery, established in 1813, is nearly full. The most recent expansion, completed between 1998 and 2004, provided 370 additional graves, yet this was insufficient to cater for current and projected demand. Żabbar’s population has approximately doubled since then.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, all 40 burial chambers that had been reserved for common use were taken up. The applicant says there is now no capacity left, necessitating the extension.

The extension will have a surface level and another underground, accessible via a lift and staircase in the centre of the site. It will add a garden of remembrance and a toilet at the eastern corner. Four family chapels will be constructed, two at surface level and two beneath them. Trees and shrubs will cover approximately 13% of the site.

The new extension will solely provide Catholic rites, with bones removed after several years for placement into ossuaries.

The cemetery will close overnight, with a caretaker handling opening and closing. It will not have permanent employees on site. No extra parking will be provided.