Activists spray-paint Joseph Portelli’s illegal Qala swimming pools

The controversy centers around swimming pools constructed by Joseph Portelli in Qala's ODZ, despite the definitive revocation of their permit by the Court of Appeal on March 13. The activists are demanding that the government keeps its word and enacts the appeals law reform with immediate effect. The current law allows developers to commence works and complete them while the appeal in front of the Planning Tribunal (EPRT) or the courts is ongoing.

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The result of this is that projects that are having their irregular PA permits revoked by the courts, would have already been built. The NGO had warned the Prime Minister that if the appeals law was not amended, they would be carrying out direction action. “Since then, the appeals law has remained unchanged, and Portelli’s illegal swimming pools are still here, untouched. So, as we had promised, today we started escalating our actions. And we won’t stop here. We cannot remain silent and let greed and arrogance choke our country.”

“Communities and organisations are having to bear the burden of appealing the obscene decisions of the PA, only for them to then having to deal with illegal buildings that no authority takes any effective action against,” the activists said. “We appealed this permit and won the case. But although the Court revoked the permit, the swimming pools had already been built — all because of our ridiculous appeals law. For this reason, this scar on our land — which is completely illegal — is still here to this day.”

They mentioned other similar cases, such as the grotesque blocks in Ta’ Sannat and Xewkija, a hotel in Mellieħa, and a part of this very same development in Qala. “In fact, a good chunk of the monstrous building behind us is also illegal because its permit was revoked after we appealed it. But, just like the pools, it had already been built.”

“The absurdity of all this is reaching ridiculous levels. Two days ago, the Planning Tribunal rejected the residents’ appeal against a monstrous development in Mistra because, according to the Tribunal, the site has now been “committed” for development because of the works done. It is worth noting that it was the very same Tribunal that had allowed the works to continue while the appeal was ongoing!” they said.

They said this is not happening by chance, saying government “is ruled by developers”, and is more intent on filling their pockets rather than safeguarding the common good.