Moviment Graffitti states that the countless abuses committed by developers like Portelli are leaving a trail of destruction in Gozo
On 8 February 2022, the Planning Authority will hear the case (PA/02087/21) for the last stage of the monstrous project that the Gozitan construction magnate trio Portelli and his partners Mark Agius and Daniel Refalo are inflicting on the tranquil village of Sannat, just a few metres away from the scenic Ta’ Ċenċ cliffs in Gozo. The project is shocking on two levels. The massive 125-apartment development will cause extensive damage to the natural environment, in an area of high ecological importance that is sought for its rural and pristine setting. Moving beyond environmental concerns, the project is a total non-starter due to its flagrant disregard of the most basic planning and development laws.
The whole saga of the Sannat development started in 2020, when the applicants had submitted the initial application for 22 flats, 15 garages and a pool. Despite the recommendation for refusal by the case officer, citing several planning policy infringements and the unwarranted take-up of ODZ land as reasons for refusal, following a request by the PA board that the applicant make insignificant modifications in the design, the application was surprisingly given the green light.
In the meantime, the same applicants submitted two other applications for two enormous blocks adjacent to the site of the first application. In all, these imposing blocks total to 125 flats – making this project one of the largest residential projects ever to take place on Gozitan soil. It is unmistakably clear that the developers split the project up into 3 separate applications, using different applicant names, with a malicious intent to evade a much more rigorous process of scrutiny. The “salami-slicing” of one project into different applications and the piecemeal approach to planning are unequivocally illegal, and constitute reasonable grounds for the applications to be automatically and categorically refused.
Similar abusive tactics led to the green-lighting of a ghastly series of apartment blocks covering a large swathe of land in Ta’ Kassja, Qala. The 160-apartment mega-development took up an area totalling 30,000sqm; but the project was never examined holistically in its entirety, nor was its wide-ranging impact on the environment and the local community ever taken into consideration.
Both projects in Sannat and Qala have been appealed on the basis of the various illegalities surrounding them. But the requests for suspension of works to allow time for the appeal to be heard were for some reason refused by the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal (EPRT). If the appellants ever win these cases and the permits are revoked, the works on these massive projects will be completed – meaning that the damage would be irrevocable at this stage and there would be no going back.
The last application in Sannat for 73 flats and 60 garages is a mere 300 metres away from the Ta’ Ċenċ cliffs, which are highly prized for their ecological and scenic value, and are also recognised as an Important Bird Area (IBA). The site that is earmarked for development is also in very close proximity to a Natura 2000 site, a Special Area of Conservation and a Special Protected Area. The last application in the three-stage massive development is also being recommended for refusal by the case officer because the proposed development exceeds the height limit permitted by the relevant planning policies. But, keeping in mind that from its very start the process was tainted with irregularities, it will be of no surprise to us if the Planning Authority chooses to wilfully ignore its own officials’ recommendations once again, opting to instead prioritise the interests of the developers.
For some reason, the Minister for the Environment and Planning, Aaron Farrugia, remains conspicuously absent and indifferent in the face of such blatant abuses, which have become synonymous with development in Malta and Gozo. The time has come to put an end to these deceitful scheming by developers, which are causing unprecedented ruin to our land and destroying our quality of life and that of our children. The authorities must be allowed to do their work – that is, uphold and enforce the laws in place – and not be steered by the developers’ interests.
Fit-8 ta’ Frar 2022 se jinstema’ s-smigħ tal-aħħar parti tal-proġett (PA/02087/21) orribbli li l-iżviluppatur Joseph Portelli u l-imsieħba tiegħu Mark Agius u Daniel Refalo qed jibnu ftit metri biss ’il bogħod mill-irdumijiet ta’ Ta’ Ċenċ fis-Sannat, Għawdex. Dan il-proġett huwa xokkanti mhux biss minħabba l-qerda ambjentali li se jħalli f’żona daqstant ekoloġikament sensittiva u mfittxija għall-isbuħija naturali tagħha, iżda wkoll għaliex huwa karatterizzat minn ksur intenzjonat tal-aktar liġijiet bażiċi tal-ippjanar.
Is-saga ta’ dan il-proġett bdiet propju fl-2020 meta l-applikanti kienu ssottomew applikazzjoni għal 22 appartament, 15-il garaxx u pixxina. Għalkemm ir-rapport tal-case officer irrakkomanda li din l-applikazzjoni tiġi rrifjutata abbażi ta’ diversi ksur ta’ politiki tal-ippjanar u minħabba t-teħid ta’ art ODZ, wara talba għal modifiki insinifikanti fid-disinn, l-applikazzjoni ġiet approvata.
Sadanittant, l-istess applikanti ssottomew żewġ applikazzjonijiet oħra għal żewġ blokok enormi biswit is-sit tal-ewwel applikazzjoni. B’kollox, dawn il-blokok massiċċi jammontaw għal 125 appartament – li jagħmel dan il-proġett wieħed mill-akbar proġetti residenzjali li qatt inbnew f’Għawdex. Huwa evidenti li l-iżviluppaturi qasmu l-proġett fi 3 applikazzjonijiet separati, u użaw ismijiet ta’ applikanti differenti, b’intenzjoni li jqarrqu u jevadu proċess ta’ skrutinju aktar rigoruż. Il-frammentazzjoni ta’ proġett wieħed f’applikazzjonijiet differenti hija ċarament illegali, u hija raġuni fiha nfisha biex l-applikazzjonijiet jiġu awtomatikament irrifjutati.
Dawn l-istess tattiċi abbużivi wasslu ukoll għall-ħruġ ta’ permess għal bini ta’ ’l fuq minn 160 appartament, f’Ta’ Kassja, il-Qala, mingħajr ma l-proġett sħiħ qatt ġie eżaminat b’mod ħolistiku fid-dawl tal-impatt estensiv tiegħu fuq l-ambjent u l-komunità.
Iż-żewġ proġetti, dak tas-Sannat u dak tal-Qala, ġew appellati abbażi tal-illegalitajiet tagħhom. Iżda t-talbiet sabiex jiġu sospiżi x-xogħlijiet sakemm jinqatgħu l-appelli ġew għal xi raġuni irrifjutati mit-Tribunal tal-Ippjanar (EPRT). Jekk dawn il-każijiet qatt jintrebħu mill-appellanti u jiġu revokati l-permessi, ix-xogħol fuq dawn il-proġetti massiċċi se jkun tlesta xorta waħda u d-dannu jkun laħaq sar.
L-aħħar applikazzjoni fis-Sannat għal 73 appartament u 60 garaxx tinsab 300 metru biss ’il bogħod mill-irdumijiet ta’ Ta’ Ċenċ, li minbarra l-valur ekoloġiku u xeniku tagħhom, huma wkoll rikonoxxuti bħala Important Bird Area (IBA), kif ukoll tinsab qrib ħafna sit ta’ Natura 2000, qrib Żona Speċjali ta’ Konservazzjoni u qrib Żona Protetta Speċjali. Din l-aħħar applikazzjoni f’dan il-proġett massiv ukoll qed tiġi rrakkomandata għar-rifjut mill-case officer għaliex il-binja proposta taqbeż il-limitu tal-għoli permess mill-politiki tal-ippjanar rilevanti. Iżda fid-dawl ta’ proċess sħiħ li, mill-bidu tiegħu, kien wieħed irregolari, ma niskantaw xejn jekk l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar terġa’ għal darb’oħra tagħżel li tinjora r-rakkomandazzjonijiet tal-uffiċjali tagħha stess u tfittex li minflok taqdi l-interessi tal-iżviluppaturi.
Għal xi raġuni, il-Ministru għall-Ambjent u l-Ippjanar, Aaron Farrugia, għażel li jibqa’ indifferenti quddiem dawn l-abbużi sfaċċati li saru sinonimi mal-iżvilupp f’pajjiżna. Aħna nisħqu li dawn il-manuvri illegali fl-iżvilupp li qed iħallu ħerba sħiħa fil-gżejjer tagħna, b’dannu kbir fuq il-kwalità ta’ ħajjitna u ta’ uliedna, għandhom jitwaqqfu immedjatament. L-awtoritajiet għandhom ikunu hemm biex iħarsu u jinfurzaw l-liġijiet, mhux jitmexxew mill-interessi tal-iżviluppaturi.
