Six organisations and over a hundred individuals have filed a collective action for the revocation of the permit for the infamous “sheep farm” in the previously pristine Ħżejjen valley in Bidnija. This action was made possible thanks to the numerous contributions by the public to a crowdfunding campaign by Moviment Graffitti where the necessary amount needed for the institution of legal actions against this travesty was reached within a few days.
Since this planning application (PA/07946/18) was accepted in 2019, environmental organisations, the media and the general public have been chronicling the construction of this massive structure in the middle of an entirely rural Outside Development Zone (ODZ), featuring ecologically important freshwater habitats. Many were left baffled at how a two-storey structure, with reception areas and a swimming pool on its roof, was approved by the Planning Authority (PA) on the pretext of it being a sheep farm.
It is clear that this permit was granted under false pretences. The PA’s case officer conveniently omitted to mention those policies which clearly and unequivocally state that there can be no development in such sensitive sites. There are other suspicious omissions and discrepancies evident in the granting of this permit for development. This is not a genuine sheep farm but a pretext for building a commercial hotel in a protected valley, as has been proven by the subsequent application (PA/5895/22) asking for this structure to be transformed into a retail outlet with guest rooms.
Now several NGOs and many individuals have banded together to file an application for the revocation of this obscene permit. We will not stand by while the PA treats the public with disdain and allows the destruction of the natural environment.
Organisations
Moviment Graffitti
BirdLife Malta
Malta Youth in Agriculture (MaYA) Foundation
Nature Trust – FEE Malta
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar (FAA)
Din l-Art Ħelwa
Sitt għaqdiet u iktar minn 100 individwu ressqu azzjoni kollettiva biex jiġi revokat il-permess għall-bini tal-famuż “razzett tan-nagħaġ” f’dak li qabel kien wied mhux mittiefes magħruf bħala tal-Ħżejjen fil-Bidnija. Din l-azzjoni saret possibbli bis-saħħa tal-ħafna kontribuzzjonijiet li ta l-pubbliku b’risposta għall-kampanja ta’ ġbir ta’ fondi li għamel il-Moviment Graffitti, fejn is-somma meħtieġa biex jittieħdu passi legali kontra din il-ħniżrija nġabret fi ftit jiem.
Minn mindu ġiet approvata l-ewwel applikazzjoni tal-ippjanar (PA/07946/18) fuq dan is-sit, fl-2019, bosta għaqdiet ambjentali, mezzi tax-xandir u l-pubbliku, ġibdu l-attenzjoni għall-fatt li bdiet tinbena struttura massiva f’nofs żona kompletament rurali u ODŻ li tiġbor fiha wkoll ħabitats tal-ilma ħelu ta’ valur ekoloġiku kbir. Ħafna baqgħu skantati kif struttura, li tikkonsisti f’żewġ sulari, f’partijiet miftuħa fejn jistgħu jintlaqgħu n-nies u pixxina fuq il-bejt, ġiet approvata mill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar bl-iskuża li hija razzett tan-nagħaġ.
Huwa ċar li dan il-permess inħareġ bil-qerq u l-gideb. L-uffiċjal tal-PA li evalwa l-każ bl-iktar mod konvenjenti ma semmiex dawk il-politiki li jiddikjaraw b’mod ċar ħafna li f’dawn l-inħawi sensittivi ma jistax iseħħ żvilupp. Hemm affarijiet oħra li tħallew barra u diskrepanzi suspettużi li huma evidenti meta ngħata l-permess għal dan l-iżvilupp. Dan mhux razzett tan-nagħaġ ġenwin imma proġett finta li minfloku se tinbena lukanda kummerċjali f’wied protett, kif uriet l-applikazzjoni ta’ wara (PA/5895/22) li tablet biex din l-istruttura tiġi mibdula f’post kummerċjali bil-kmamar għall-viżitaturi.
Issa diversi għaqdiet u ħafna persuni ngħaqdu flimkien biex iressqu talba għar-revoka ta’ dan il-permess oxxen. M’aħniex se noqogħdu kwieti waqt li l-PA tkompli titratta lill-pubbliku bi stmerrija u tħalli l-ambjent naturali jkompli jinqered.
L-Organizzazzjonijiet
Moviment Graffitti
BirdLife Malta
Malta Youth in Agriculture (MaYA) Foundation
Nature Trust – FEE Malta
Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar (FAA)
Din l-Art Ħelwa
