'Is this progress?' Mġarr farmers and residents unite to protect ODZ fields

Mġarr residents and farmers turned up on Saturday morning to express their anger and opposition against the Electorfix group, which is appealing a planning refusal for the development of a solar farm that will take up the area of around six football pitches of agricultural land.

Some 100 people met holding banners reading, “Save Mġarr”, ‘Ħalluna L-Arja’ (leave our air), and ‘Ambjent? Fejn? (Environment? Where?).  The demonstration was led by Moviment Graffitti, which has been at the forefront of the fight against the large development. 

Back in March, the PA planning board unanimously rejected the proposal for a massive solar farm. The development application, filed by Joseph Schembri of Electrofix Group, proposed the construction and installation of over 5,700 photovoltaic solar panels on the rooftops of 90 greenhouses. 

The project received hundreds of objections. 

Despite the project being rejected, the applicants Schembri and Christian Paul Micallef filed an appeal to the Planning Authority to “re-assess” the application once more last month.

Mġarr residents and farmers joined Saturday's demonstration calling for the end of the Electrofix solar farm plans. Photo: Chris Sant...