Gaffarena presents new plans for Handaq agritourism

The entrepreneur implicated in the Old Mint Street expropriation scandal has presented new plans for an agritourism complex on the Handaq field he acquired for the Valletta building that was expropriated.

Mark Gaffarena secured a highly irregular €1.65 million property-and-cash deal in 2015 in exchange for his half-share in a Valletta property that housed a government agency’s offices. The controversial transfer had resulted in the resignation of parliamentary secretary for lands Michael Falzon after two investigations by the National Audit Office and the Prime Minister’s Internal Audit and Investigations Department, as well as a court case filed by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat seeking a rescission of the land deal.

Gaffarena’s latest plans for the 6,647sq.m plot foresee a 300sq.m accommodation space, reception, 10 stables, two large ponds, parking, open-air gazebos, fountains, and beaten-earth paths passing through olive and fruit tree groves. Project architect Martin Debono has presented idyllic visuals of the new development, which dropped earlier plans for a bird sanctuary, an animal paddock and a children’s playground.

Originally, the application sought to sanction a bird park and single-storey structures on site, but was then changed to a proposal for an agritourism that included stables, a bird sanctuary and afforestation.

The Environment and Resources Authority has objected to the proposal warning against the retroactive sanctioning of past illegalities.

Although development on the site is not covered by any planning permission it is already occupied by the Cavett Place restaurant, which has a large pool. This illegality has been subject to an enforcement notice dating back to 2012. The existing structures are proposed for sanctioning under the new application.