Portelli scion applies for agricultural store

The daughter of the construction magnate behind the 32-storey Mercury House Paceville high rise is eying an agricultural store in an area of high landscape value in Nadur.

Chloe Portelli, daughter of controversial property magnate Joseph Portelli, has applied to construct a 37sq.m agricultural store in a picturesque location in Gozo known as ta’ Kennuna.

The store is being proposed on a 22,603 sq.m plot of agricultural land on a site where the Planning Authority recently issued an enforcement order against illegal works, specifically new rubble walls which did not previously exist on the site. Residents had been complaining of these works for months before PA officials intervened.

The store is being proposed in an area known as il-Gebel l-Ahmar in the vicinity of Triq it-Torri ta’ Kenuna, in Nadur

Details of another application presented on the site are still not available to the public, as the application has not yet been fully submitted. MaltaToday is informed that the application is related to sanctioning the new rubble walls.

But the PA’s advisory committee on agricultural issues has already objected to the proposals, noting that although Portelli is registered as a farmer, one-third of the holdings are registered as non-arable and therefore the applicant is not in possession of sufficient landholding to justify such a large store. Neither has the applicant submitted proof of arable farming.

Present policies foresee that plots under 22,000sq.m are only entitled to 20sq.m stores while those over that threshold are entitled to a 40sq.m store.

Moreover no justification has been provided for the size of the proposed room.

The committee has recommended relocating the proposal closer to the road so as to minimize soil uptake. The area is designated as being one of high landscape value in the local plans.