Plans for a privately operated crematorium and 2,480 columbaria on ODZ land outside Siġġiewi have been recommended for approval by the Planning Authority’s Development Management Directorate, despite objections concerning the loss of agricultural land and the project’s potential impact on the surrounding rural landscape.The proposed development would sit beside the historic Ta’ Brija cemetery on an 11,615-square-metre site, around 2,900 square metres of which consists of agricultural land as reported by Malta Today.The Planning Board is expected to decide on the application on 8th October, with plans including a crematorium, chapel, reception, offices, viewing room and technical facilities, as well as 62 blocks containing a total of 2,480 columbaria.However, one of the most significant aspects of the application concerns how the development is being classified. According to MaltaToday, the case officer is treating the project as an extension to the existing Ta’ Brija cemetery, despite the historic cemetery having been abandoned in the 1930s.This means the proposal is being assessed under Malta’s 2015 Cemeteries Policy rather than the specific policy regulating standalone crematoria on ODZ land, which was approved in 2024.The distinction could prove crucial because the 2024 policy restricts standalone crematoria to a search area extending up to one kilometre from Malta’s Principal Urban Area and excludes environmentally sensitive, protected and high-landscape-value areas.That search area largely concentrates potential crematorium sites around Malta’s main urban areas, effectively excluding more sensitive rural locations such as the Siġġiewi countryside.The 2015 Cemeteries Policy, meanwhile, prohibits new cemeteries but allows extensions to existing ones where additional capacity is required and the development would not result in unacceptable environmental impacts. The case officer has concluded that these provisions can be applied to the Ta’ Brija proposal.Ta’ Brija itself has centuries of history behind it, dating back to the 1623 plague, when victims were buried outside populated areas, before being used again during the 1813 plague under British rule. The cemetery remains largely intact within its limestone walls, although the case officer described its current condition as being in “complete abandon with thickly overgrown cane plants”. A previous permit had already approved an extension to the cemetery together with restoration works, and clearance for excavation connected to that permit was granted earlier this year.The latest application seeks to add the crematorium and columbaria to that development, but it has attracted opposition from the Siġġiewi Local Council and environmental groups.The council has argued that the project represents unjustified development outside the development zone and could contribute to the cumulative urbanisation of rural land, while other concerns have centred on emissions, traffic, groundwater, landscape impacts and the environmental information submitted by the applicant.Opponents have also argued that the project should instead be assessed under the 2024 policy specifically governing standalone cremation facilities.The surrounding countryside carries several environmental designations, including a proposed Area of High Landscape Value covering the Girgenti area, a proposed Area of Ecological Importance, an ecological corridor and a groundwater safeguard area.The Agriculture Advisory Committee initially objected in principle to non-agricultural development on ODZ land, but later raised no major concerns after an assessment found the agricultural land involved to be of low agricultural value and took into account the proximity of the approved cemetery development.The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage also required archaeological monitoring because of the sensitivity of the area, but ultimately raised no objection following revisions to the project and the introduction of additional landscaping intended to screen the development.Under the plans, the crematorium would have a footprint of around 500 square metres, while the columbaria would occupy approximately 5,080 square metres. The project also proposes additional parking and the planting of 238 new trees, including 36 carob trees and 17 Holm oaks, backed by a €16,000 landscaping guarantee.The facility would be operated by funeral directors Paul Tonna, Son of Santu and would include cremation rooms, a mortuary, cold storage, a chapel, waiting areas and administrative facilities. A natural-gas-powered Ciroldi Zeus 1000 cremator is proposed, with filtration and emissions-control systems designed to treat gases and capture pollutants produced during the cremation process.The applicant has argued that the project would address demand for cremation services in Malta, claiming the funeral business receives requests for cremations almost every week which currently have to be carried out in Sicily. Although Malta legalised cremation in 2019, the country still does not have an operational crematorium.The final decision will now rest with the Planning Board when it considers the application on 8th October.What do you make of the plans for a crematorium and 2,480 columbaria outside Siġġiewi?•