Gharb to decide on future fireworks factories in December referendum

The Gozitan village of Gharb announced the referendum in a statement, following-up on a declaration made by the locality’s mayor David Apap last September, shortly a tragic explosion that killed six people at the Farrugia Fireworks Factory.

Residents will be asked whether new fireworks factories should be allowed in the locality.

The council had said it was seeking the view of the residents in view of the fact that several members of the council had ‘conflicts of interest’ due to their affiliation to clubs and organizations tied to feasts, and could not therefore decide on new applications for fireworks factories.

The council said, it was well aware of the fact that the locality was becoming 'a base' of fireworks factories and this was unacceptable for the residents health and safety. It was also unacceptable that an issue such as this was only discussed when there was a tragedy, with everything being forgotten after a short time.

The council said it appreciated that fireworks were an important element of Maltese culture, but society was paying a high price in human lives.

The council stressed that there should be more frequent controls on existing fireworks factories, involving production procedures and storage, the materials used and the qualifications of people producing fireworks.

The people also needed to be better informed of the risks involved in the transport of fireworks.

Residents of Gharb will be invited to vote at the council offices between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Vote counting will be held immediately afterward.

The referendum will seal the fate of a pending application to build a third fireworks factory in the locality just 150 metres away from the historic San Dimitri chapel.

The council - which has the backing of residents, Din l-Art Helwa, Wirt Ghawdex, and the Gozo Tourism Authority – have previously expressed concern that the fireworks factory has already been granted an outline development permit by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority.

One bone of contention is that the council has already applied to develop a picnic area next to the chapel, which mayor David Apap said would in all probability be approved.

Besides all this, the council said, the applicant of the fireworks factory did not own the land which was still tilled by the current owner.

MEPA had said that the outline development permit was subject to a number of conditions, among them that no work shall commence on site until full development permission was granted for development.

The full development application will be accompanied by a schedule of times indicating on a weekly basis the operating hours of the fireworks factory.

Following consultations that MEPA had with Enemalta Corporation, the Water Services Corporation and the departments of public health, museums, drainage and the Explosives Committee, there were few objections to the development.

The Museums Department did raise the issue of the chapel being so close and recommended that advice be sought from an explosives expert before any decision was taken.

Meanwhile, the Explosives Committee noted that the site met the "outside safety distances required by law and was therefore suitable to build a fireworks factory".

However, it pointed out that the passage leading to the proposed site must be made accessible to emergency vehicles.

After examining the area, the committee noted that although the chapel was just 150 metres away from the proposed site, it was situated 23 metres above the level of the site.

Furthermore, the terraced fields separating the chapel from the site could serve as an embankment in case of an accidental explosion.

The committee was also of the opinion that the possibility of the chapel suffering damage from an accidental explosion at the proposed fireworks factory was "very remote, but can never be ruled out entirely".

In the light of this, the planning directorate recommended that the applicant insure the chapel against any damage caused by any accidental explosions.