Not really downsized: Mgarr solar farm developers appeal planning refusal

The developers of a massive solar farm that could stretch over Mgarr fields the length of six football pitches, have appealed a refusal from the Planning Authority.

The PA planning board’s unanimous decision was in line with its solar farm policy, which clearly states such farms should not take up virgin or agricultural land, but be located on large-scale rooftops, car parks, industrial areas, and quarries. Meanwhile, the rural policy only allows small-scale photovoltaic panels on greenhouses. 

The decision on the unpopular proposal, which was met by thousands of objections, was taken on 3 March during the first week of the electoral campaign.

Before and after (below): there are more solar panels in the new plan for a solar farm

But in their appeal, Electrofix owners Joseph Schembri and Christian Micallef claim they have formulated new plans following ‘discussions’ with the energy and economy ministries, and the department of agriculture.

The latest plans seen by MaltaToday envisage the erection of 6,528 panels on 18,760sq.m of land, which represents 42% of the 44,500sq.m site.

The plans rejected by the PA envisaged 5,784 solar panels erected on 90 greenhouses over 14,100sq.m of land – a land coverage of 32%. But while the latest plans actually envisage more panels, the layout leaves room for a central plot of agricultural land. Moreover, the height of the panels was reduced from 4.5m to 4m.

In their appeal, the developers claim the greenhouses will be used to grow “extensive amounts of crops which will be put on the local market for sale, while the solar activity will also be used to lower the commercial cost of the agricultural produce apart from contributing to the national electricity grid.” Plans refer to the growth of vegetables like lettuce, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, aubergines, ginger, herbs, cabbages, strawberries as well as snails. The greenhouses will be placed into the ground using small concrete plinths to ensure that no damage is done to any archaeological remains. 

To circumvent the existing policy against solar farms on agricultural land, the company is now claiming that the main aim of their proposal is to “reinvest in the agricultural activity and making the produce more financially viable.” They also state that they are willing to accept conditions to ensure that should the agricultural activity stop, the solar activity is stopped as well. 

In their appeal the developers insist that they were already changing their plans before the PA planning board’s hearing, but their request for a suspension was denied. 

In its electoral manifesto the Labour Party vaguely proposed a “study on agricultural projects which could also serve as a source of renewable energy but in a way which does not impact on agricultural produce.”