Għargħur’s fireworks enthusiasts object to ODZ elderly home

Għargħur’s Għaqda tan-Nar San Bartilmew is among the more than 500 objectors to a proposed elderly care home on land outside the development zone in Birguma.

The application for the 70-room facility involves developing over 9,300sq.m of farmland in an area designated as a Strategic Open Gap between Naxxar and Gharghur. Urban development is generally prohibited in such zones.

The proposed development, located along Triq Wied Anglu at the corner of Triq il-Vittmi tan-Nar, includes plans for an underground car park with space for 104 vehicles. Approximately 3,600 square meters of the site would be built up, while the remaining area would be landscaped.

The fireworks society has expressed concerns that if the development is approved, it will prevent fireworks from being set off in the area traditionally used for this purpose. They also highlighted the loss of agricultural land because of the project.

The proposed elderly care home is less than 100 metres from the site where the Għargħur feast’s fireworks are launched. The Għargħur local council has also objected to the application, citing both environmental concerns and the threat to the local feast. The council reminded authorities that the Maltese festa is officially recognised as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

At its most recent meeting, the council decided to launch a petition against the proposed development. Other objectors warned that the proximity of an elderly care home to a fireworks staging area presents clear safety risks and operational conflicts.

“The fireworks tradition is deeply rooted in local culture, and any disruption to these activities could lead to tensions within the community. Placing a sensitive facility like an elderly care home near such an active site is inappropriate and may result in future restrictions on the fireworks displays,” some objectors noted.

Others pointed out that the area is already well-served by elderly care facilities.

“There are two care homes in Naxxar and another one currently under construction just a few hundred meters from the proposed site. This overconcentration of elderly care facilities in the immediate area raises serious questions about the necessity of an additional one,” said a resident.

Concerns were also raised about increased traffic from visitors to the care home, with some noting that the rural roads in the area are not designed to accommodate the additional traffic that such a development would bring.