ERA slams proposed development at protected Baħrija cliffs

The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) has issued a scathing objection to a development application at Ras ir-Raħeb in Baħrija, warning that the proposal threatens a highly sensitive Natura 2000 site, while reporting various illegalities including uprooting of protected shrubs on the site, following an inspection.

The application (PA/00495/26), proposes several interventions on a field located atop the Rabat cliffs. The applicant is seeking permission for the construction of rubble walls, an agricultural store, an underground reservoir, two gates and the formalisation of a passageway.

However, in a formal communication to the Planning Authority (PA), ERA officials warned that the site is not suitable for agriculture. They also described the site as an area characterised by “scenic beauty” and a “rare rural landscape” that remains predominantly free from development.

The location is of international ecological significance, falling within the Natura 2000 site Rdumijiet ta’ Malta: Ir-Ramla taċ-Ċirkewwa sal-Ponta ta’ Bengħisa and a designated Special Protection Area. It is also protected as an Area of Ecological Importance and an Area of High Landscape Value.

Officials argue that if approved the development would lead to significant changes in the area’s topography and have a detrimental visual impact on the openness of the cliffside. Most alarmingly, the authority said the project would result in land and habitat fragmentation and the degradation of protected habitats.

A recent site visit by ERA officials revealed that significant environmental damage has already been inflicted. The authority confirmed the unauthorised removal of a protected “pseudo-steppe” habitat, for which the area was specifically designated for protection.

The pseudo-steppe habitat is a grass-dominated ecosystem characterised by, annual grasses and herbs and open grassland with seasonal plants.

In the EU’s Natura 2000 classification, this habitat is considered a priority habitat because it is rare and ecologically valuable. In Malta it is relatively uncommon and usually occurs on thin soils on plateaus or slopes.

Inspectors also noted engineering works that have already modified the landscape, including the creation of a ramp and the displacement of material.

ERA also raised strong objections to the site’s intended use for agriculture. While the plans do not explicitly propose soil deposition on the protected land, the authority expressed concern that the natural geography of the area is fundamentally unsuited for farming.

The authority pointed out that the presence of a small freshwater stream, a soil slip scar and exposed rock would make any attempt at agricultural maintenance impossible without “regular heavy engineering interventions.” Such intensive works, ERA said, would be incompatible with the conservation of a protected ecological zone.

Development would encroach on coastal trail

The development could also affect public access. ERA noted that the proposed interventions would encroach on the existing coastal trail, potentially forcing hikers onto a precarious path at the “very edge of the cliffs” or requiring the creation of new footpaths elsewhere.

In its conclusion, ERA said the proposal is “objectionable from an environmental point of view.” Beyond rejecting the current application, the authority is also calling for the site to be reinstated to its original state to reverse the damage caused by unauthorised works.

The screening, conducted under the Flora, Fauna and Natural Habitats Protection Regulations, concluded that the proposal is unsustainable within such a delicate ecosystem.

The proposal is being made by site owner Joson Michael Aquilina who is a registered farmer.  But the PA’s advisory panel on agriculture noted that the applicant is not in possession of sufficient arable holdings to justify the new store and that no proof of agricultural activity has been submitted. Din l-Art Helwa and the Ramblers Association are also objecting.