PA refuses to sanction illegal Żebbuġ animal park

The Planning Authority has refused to legalise an 'animal park' in Żebbuġ, which had been illegally developed on agricultural land outside development zones.In a hearing on Thursday, the PA board voted six to four against an application to sanction the conversion of the site at Ta’ l-Andar, outside Żebbuġ, into a complex of animal enclosures and other permanent structures, including a swimming pool and large timber structure referred to as a lecture hall.The site has been subject to a pending enforcement notice since 2005. Plans to regularise its use as an animal park - housing deer, kangaroos, owls and other birds - had been recommended for refusal due to environmental concerns and policy issues.At a first hearing last month, a majority of members indicated they would nevertheless vote to approve the project, citing “humanitarian considerations” after the applicant presented an agreement with Puttinu Cares to allow patients to use the facilities, including the swimming pool, for free for rehabilitation purposes.But the board returned to the original recommendation when it met again for a formal vote on Thursday, shooting down the proposal.The application had raised objections...