75 square metre room allowed in ‘area of high landscape value’

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority has approved the construction of an agricultural store over a 75 square metre footprint in an area of ‘high landscape value’ in Fawwara in Siggiewi on the pretext that the structure already existed prior to 1978. The area is also designated as a protected buffer zone for an area of ecological importance.

The new “store” proposed by owner Gaetano Spiteri will be surrounded by an area paved by grass blocks and will include a ground floor, a basement, and an access gate. The “store” will be surrounded by a 1.94 metre high rubble wall which was built illegally and which has now been sanctioned.

But an aerial photo dating back to 1994 clearly shows that the room had already been demolished and had ceased to exist. The only surviving structures are two small timber rooms and a concrete slab which will now be demolished. 

Although the Planning Directorate concluded that the new store is eligible for sanctioning according to the new rural policy, which enables the reconstruction of  structures built before 1978, it still objected to the development because of an extensive area paved by grass blocks on compacted earth.  

The size of the paved area was reduced but the Planning Directorate still felt it was unjustified. The Directorate also objected to the proposed 1.94 metre high rubble wall, which was also approved.

Din l-Art Helwa objected, noting that had the owner not applied on the pretext of rebuilding a long demolished building,  he  would not have been permitted to build an agricultural store, according to the same rural policy which only allows owners of more than four tumoli of land to build stores. The Agricultural Advisory Committee was not consulted by MEPA in the processing of the application.

MEPA in 2010 had refused an application for the construction of an agricultural room a few metres away from the site.