Planning Directorate Backs Proposed Crematorium on Siġġiewi ODZ Land
In brief
- The Planning Authority's Development Management Directorate has recommended approving a private crematorium on ODZ land in Siġġiewi.
- The project proposals include the main cremation facility alongside 2,480 columbaria for storing urns.
- The Siġġiewi Local Council and resident objectors oppose the development over traffic, emissions, and the loss of agricultural land.
The Planning Authority's Development Management Directorate has recommended the approval of a privately operated crematorium and columbarium complex on land outside development zones (ODZ) in Siġġiewi.
The proposed development features facilities for cremation alongside 2,480 columbaria, which are formal structures designed to hold urns containing ashes following a cremation.
The directorate's recommendation comes despite formal objections lodged by the Siġġiewi Local Council, which raised concerns about the wider planning and environmental consequences of the development.
Central to the local council's arguments is the permanent loss of workable agricultural land, as the footprint covers rural ground currently protected from ordinary commercial activity.
Civic representatives and local objectors have also raised warnings about traffic generation, arguing that the surrounding rural roads cannot handle the volume of visiting vehicles.
Further objections focused on prospective emissions from the crematorium facility, calling on planners to account for air quality and the impact on neighbouring rural spaces.
The recommendation will now be submitted to the Planning Authority board, which is responsible for reviewing the case and taking a final vote on the permit.
The Spin Room
Low media divide. Both outlets reported the planning recommendation consistently, highlighting the local council's environmental and traffic objections.