The proposed large, development project for a block of flats on the edge of Nadur overlooking a valley, has been deferred by the Planning Commission in its meeting held on Friday, insisting further downsizing of the project, which the Board described as “overbearing.”

The development in Tas-Sajtun, Nadur, which has already been downsized, is – PA/00085/21 – is a site on Triq il-Qortin, for the “proposed excavation of site to required levels, proposed construction of basement garages to accommodate 61 car spaces and 39 overlying residential apartments and 8 penthouses, including landscaping.”

In December last year, four NGOs took legal action asking the Planning Authority to dismiss the application, which included ownership issues.

The residents of Qortin Street in Nadur, in November called for public support regarding this application and their “objection of the destruction of land which will inherently be invading our residency.”

“Gozitan and Maltese citizens alike have had enough of seeing more agricultural land brutalised at the hands of unscrupulous land speculators and gobbled-up by tarmac and hideous blocks of apartments which give nothing back to the community,” the activist group said.

Moviment Graffitti attended the virtual hearing, along with a large number of people who spoke out against the project, including experts and various NGOs who have been fighting against this project for many months.

The organisation stated that “this is the fourth time that the PA has refrained from taking a single and clear decision against this development that will continue to destroy not only the lives of the residents in the village and the agricultural land of Nadur but also other important surrounding areas such as the beaches of San Blas and Dahlet Qorrot.”

Moviment Graffitti accused the PA of being “stuck in a bureaucratic loop that is not working to protect the common good, which is supposed to be the main goal of any work it carries out.”

It has been fighting the application, arguing among other things that it will “destroy arable land still worked by farmers and that the development will also restrict access to the Natura 2000 site, il-Qortin, which is situated at the end of the street.

Objectors present also argued that “this huge development will increase the existing sewage problem since the street is not connected to a sewer system, resulting in a large increase of sewage going to the water table which will be highly detrimental to the remaining arable land.”

The case has now been deferred until the 3rd of December.

Planning Authority photo montage

Permalink: Decision on large Nadur development deferred until December