Għarb rezoning of ODZ is non-starter, Planning Authority rules

The Executive Council of the Planning Authority (PA) has termed a planning control application to re-zone agricultural land for a new road and residential development, as a “non-starter”.

Over 1,000 Gozitan and Maltese citizens had objected to the application to change the zoning of 7,880sq.m of agricultural land, designated as ODZ, to a residential development zone along Triq Mongur and Triq Birbuba in Għarb.

“Article 54 (2) of the Development Planning Act precludes the change in zoning of sites located Outside Development zone. As a result, the application was refused since it attempts to designate zoning of a site that lies in an ODZ area and therefore cannot be considered to constitute a minor modification as it does not satisfy the criteria established by law,” the PA stated on Tuesday.

The PA’s Executive Council also confirmed the protection status of a residential rural property it had scheduled in 2019. The property which falls on the outskirts of Naxxar was scheduled as a Grade 2 protected building.

The property was scheduled in collaboration with the Superintendent of Cultural Heritage.