Polidano seeks fresh expansion of Ħal Farruġ industrial plant

Construction magnate Charles Polidano has filed an application to expand his sprawling Ħal Farruġ industrial complex onto additional land, prompting immediate objections from the environment watchdog.

The latest application (PA 884/26) proposes the construction of a specialised precast concrete plant on derelict land adjoining the existing industrial compound. The project also includes heavy vehicle parking areas, open plant areas and the continuation of the rehabilitation of surrounding agricultural land and buffer zones. It also seeks to sanction landscaping belts, boundary walls and access gates that have already been carried out.

The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) has already raised strong objections, stating “the proposed sprawling beyond the area of containment is not supported from an environmental point of view”.

The proposed works would bring development closer to an existing fireworks factory.

The application represents the latest chapter in the gradual expansion of Polidano’s industrial operations at Ħal Farruġ, where several structures were built beyond the scope of existing permits before being regularised through subsequent applications.

History of sanctioning

In 2021, the Planning Authority approved an application sanctioning a series of substantial deviations from previously approved permits at the industrial compound after Polidano paid a €32,754 fine.

Those irregularities included a 19-metre-high head office block, workers’ accommodation, and a fuel station and car wash that exceeded what had originally been approved.

At the time, the case officer justified the inclusion of workers’ quarters by citing the company’s involvement in large infrastructure projects requiring the temporary accommodation of specialised foreign workers operating on shift patterns between the plant and construction sites.

A year earlier, in 2020, Planning Authority enforcement officials inspecting land adjacent to the Poligas factory had confirmed that fresh concrete flooring had been laid over part of the site.

In 2022 the PA issued another enforcement order against the change of use of land from agricultural to accomodate an “inert material processing area”.

The industrial complex itself has a long planning history. Substantial parts of the development were only sanctioned in 2007.

The current application would further consolidate the industrial footprint of the site beyond the designated area of containment and closer to a sensitive fireworks installation.