Sannat mega-development “clearly illegal and must be stopped at once”

by Gozo News · January 28, 2022

Moviment Graffitti has said that “the Sannat mega-development by Portelli and his partners is clearly illegal and must be stopped at once.”

The activist organisation in a statement on Friday, said that `the countless abuses committed by developers like Portelli are leaving a trail of destruction in Gozo.”

It said that on 8th 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’ Cenc cliffs in Gozo.”

It argued that “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 organisation explained that “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.” Sannat mega-development ``clearly illegal and must be stopped at once'' In the meantime, the NGO said that 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.”

It stated that “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.”

Moviment Graffitti pointed out that “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).

The NGO stressed that 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 NGO highlighted the fact that the last application in Sannat for 73 flats and 60 garages is a mere 300 metres away from the Ta’ Cenc 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,” stated Moviment Graffitti.

It went on to say that “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.”

Moviment Graffitti stressed that “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.”

It concluded by saying that “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.”