Qala local council and green NGOs appeal Qala ODZ permit

The Qala Local Council, Din l-Art Helwa and Nature Trust Malta have teamed up to appeal the controversial permit granted to Joseph Portelli in the pristine ODZ area of Hal-Muxi.

"The application was dogged with controversy as both the environmental watchdog Environment and Resources Authority as well as the cultural watchdog the Superintendent of Cultural Heritage strongly objected to it, and yet  a majority of members of the Planning Board voted in favour," the local council said in a statement on Saturday.

READ ALSO: Qala country ruins on Portelli land get PA’s blessing to be turned into villa

At the end of October, the Planning Authority had approved the permit to redevelop a 31 square-metre countryside ruin into a villa and a swimming pool on the Qala coast, on land sold to construction magnate Portelli.

The company, J Portelli Projects, eventually announced its voluntary renouncing of the permit awarded after it faced a lot of backlash. 

The Qala local council and the green NGOs said such a permit was 'scandalous' and that back in October, even the Planning Directorate had recommended that the application be turned down. Despite this, it was still given the green light.

"The determination of this application was manifestly flawed with disregard of the law and policies. This is a case of Team Malta and Gozo against a system which favours developers at all costs and at every instance. The policies are clear, ERA was clear, the Superintendent of Cultural Heritage was clear - such development is not allowed in ODZ. And yet this was approved. It is a shameful disgrace."

Together with Din l-Art Helwa and Nature Trust, the Qala local council have filed an appeal to have the permit revoked. "Enough is enough," they wrote.