Controversial Lapsi quarry could operate beyond next decade

A controversial hardstone quarry near Għar Lapsi in Siġġiewi could remain operational beyond the next decade, documentation submitted to the environment authority shows.

The quarry, known as Lapsi Quarry or Ta’ Bellula Quarry, is operated by the Polidano Group. It produces hardstone, hardsand and gravel and serves as a construction waste recycling facility. It is situated in a picturesque area adjoining sensitive rural and coastal land and close to ecologically protected Natura 2000 areas.

In documentation submitted for the new environmental permit for Quarry HM33 (as it is officially known), the operator says its long-term strategy relies heavily on extending the quarry’s operational life beyond 10 years. Environmental permits are issued by the Environment and Resources Authority.

The company argues that land available nationally for mineral waste recycling is highly scarce and says it therefore wants to prolong the recycling facility’s lifespan for as long as possible.

The operator also argues that the void space created by quarrying is itself a limited national resource, and it intends preserving it and avoid backfilling unless this becomes completely unavoidable.

Recycling activities are expected to continue for at least a decade, “and likely even longer”, the documentation states, citing persistent national demand for construction materials.

The quarry currently accepts around 300,000 tonnes of inert excavation, construction and demolition waste every year.

Incoming material is stockpiled and processed to meet customer specifications. The quarry has a storage capacity of around 3,500 tonnes for scarified road material and asphalt/tarmac waste.

The new application, EP 0134/26, submitted by Paul Polidano on behalf of Polidano Brothers Ltd, covers quarry operations including stone extraction, recycling of inert and construction and demolition waste, and the backfilling of excavation voids.

The site is also subject to immediate environmental management measures agreed with ERA. These include sealing access to a designated yellow area, isolating a blue area on the quarry floor with concrete blocks and repairing boundary walls.

When operations eventually cease, the operator envisages a four-stage restoration process. This would involve surveying the remaining void, subdividing it for sequential backfilling in compacted two to three-metre layers, and eventually terracing the surface to blend into the surrounding landscape.

The restored land, sometime in late 2030s or early 2040s, could then be returned to agricultural use or another permitted use.