Birguma quarry to gobble up more garigue

The owners of the Birguma quarry just 30m off the Grade 1 listed Victoria Lines, want a 4,900 square metre extension to the eyesore on Triq John Ayden.

Developer Anthony Ciappara says extending the quarry will yield an additional 220,000 cubic meters of lower coralline limestone (żonqor) which he claims can reduce the carbon footprint of the building industry which is now increasingly dependent on imported effluent.

The owners hinted at plans to rehabilitate the quarry in “multiple stages” following the exhaustion of the mineral resources.

The Environment and Resources Authority said in February that the impacts of the development are unlikely to be significant or necessitating an Environment Impact Assessment. Instead, ERA has requested a Restoration Method Statement which should include a timeframe for the eventual backfilling of the older parts of the quarry and the proposed extension.

The report also must show how the quarry owners intend to reinstate the original characteristics of the area and explore “after-uses such as solar energy and/or afforestation”. Subsequently ERA will issue conditions for both the quarry expansion and the restoration of the entire quarry once it is exhausted.

SCH softens initial opposition

In January 2023, the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage sounded the alarm at the application, noting that the quarry is just three metres from a World War II military battery and 30m from the Victorial Lines, which enjoy the highest level of protection.

The Superintendence noted that the proposed extension will “involve the removal of substantial parts of the bedrock that characterises this cultural landscape, further impacting the perception of the Victoria Lines and other military features within an area specifically scheduled to ensure their safeguard.”

But in March 2023 the watchdog softened its stance. While reiterating its concern with regards to the extension of the quarry “within such a sensitive area… characterised by numerous cultural heritage features,” the SCH welcomed plans to rehabilitate the site following the exhaustion of the quarries. “The Superintendence would be favourable to the restoration of this site following the end of quarrying activity on site.”

The SCH also asked for the projected timeframes for the exhaustion of quarry and its rehabilitation. Any eventual clearance from the Superintendence will be subject to a condition “for the conjoined rehabilitation of both quarries” and accompanied by a “suitable Bank Guarantee to ensure this aim.”

Developer promises lower carbon footprint

The quarry expansion will involve excavating the western terrain adjacent to the current quarry, reaching depths equivalent to the existing quarry, specifically up to 50m above Mean Sea Level.

Following the depletion of the hardstone quarry, a comprehensive rehabilitation plan will be implemented in multiple phases, involving backfilling with suitable material and site restoration.

The developer’s consultants AIS claim the material extracted from the site will provide an alternative to imported foreign aggregate used in concrete mixtures. “The importation of such material has led to increased construction costs and higher carbon emissions.”

The extension will cover two adjacent areas: a 2,615sq.m pristine garigue area currently designated as a Strategic Open Gap where no development is normally allowed and a 2,922sq.m area which was already excavated in the past and was subsequently backfilled.

The report recognises that the project will have a “moderate adverse impact” on the ecology of the area particularly on garigue habitats.

But the report claims the impact on the nearby historical monuments as “negligible” because the quarry is “positioned at a significant distance from these features, posing minimal risks”.

The report however considers the social impact of the development as a major adverse one since the extension will bring the quarrying activity closer to the residential area of Birguma, resulting in “heightened deposition of dust, increased levels of noise and vibrations, and a notable decrease in the overall visual amenity of the surroundings.”

But the eventual rehabilitation of the site and the adjacent quarry “may lead to various social and environmental benefits in the area.”