Decision suspended on contested Żabbar water cremation facility

A planning decision on a proposed water cremation facility in Żabbar has been suspended after the applicant requested the application be put on hold.

The request came just as the Planning Board was due to take a decision amid strong opposition from residents and a recommendation for refusal by the Development and Management Directorate.

The proposal, submitted by Jeremy Muscat, sought full development permission to construct an aquamation centre and cemeterial facilities on a vacant site adjoining the existing Żabbar cemetery, at the junction of Triq il-Papa Piju XII and Triq iċ-Cimiterju.

Aquamation, also known as water cremation, is an alternative funerary technique that uses alkaline water instead of fire to reduce human remains.

The area of the proposed development

The application had attracted widespread objections from nearby residents and the Żabbar local council, who raised concerns about potential contamination, traffic congestion, noise and vibration from equipment, electricity supply pressures, safety risks and the impact on surrounding property values.

Objectors also pointed to the site’s proximity to residential homes, describing the proposal as incompatible with the character of the area.

In parallel, the Planning Authority’s Development Management Directorate had recommended refusal, concluding that the project was unacceptable in principle and failed to comply with national planning policies governing crematoria.

In its report, the directorate noted that while aquamation is an emerging burial method, it is still assessed under the Partial Review of the Cemeteries Policy and Design Guidance 2015.

That policy restricts standalone crematoria to specific locations, primarily within designated search areas outside development zones close to major population centres.

According to planners, the Żabbar site — although designated as a cemetery in the South Malta Local Plan — did not satisfy key eligibility criteria. The report states that the proposal ran counter to policy provisions aimed at avoiding the proliferation of crematoria and requiring centralised locations, as well as the requirement for explicit clearance from health authorities.

The Environmental Health Directorate objected to the proposal, noting that existing burial legislation does not regulate aquamation operations.

The Planning Directorate also highlighted the applicant’s failure to provide essential information requested by several authorities, including Enemalta, Transport Malta, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability and the Sanitary Engineering Office.

Planners said this lack of information prevented a full assessment of impacts related to transport, electricity load, accessibility, visual impact and sanitary requirements.

The applicant was formally notified of these shortcomings in March 2024 but failed to submit the required documentation within the stipulated timeframes.

While acknowledging the growing need for alternative funerary options, the Planning Directorate concluded that the proposal did not meet the policy framework governing crematoria and cemeteries.

The application’s suspension means the Planning Board will not be taking a decision at this stage, leaving the future of the controversial proposal uncertain.

Proponents of the project have argued that aquamation offers a more environmentally sustainable and dignified alternative to traditional burial and flame cremation. In previous public statements, the project’s backers said the water-based process avoids harmful air emissions associated with crematoria, including carbon dioxide and mercury released from dental fillings.

They have also insisted that aquamation does not contaminate groundwater, stressing that the process sterilises all organic material and leaves no DNA residue.