A few years ago, the Planning Authority and the Environment Planning and Review Tribunal twice turned down a Gozitan’s application to build an ‘agricultural store’ on unspoiled farmland. The same application has been filed again, this time bearing his wife’s name.

Despite changing the applicant’s name from Jeffrey Zammit to Margaret Zammit, the proposal is identical to the one rejected earlier. The architect behind the proposal is Alex Bigeni, a relative of Planning Minister Clint Camilleri.

In 2019, Zammit, who owns several parcels of farmland in Mgarr ix-Xini, applied to build a 40-square-metre store on top of an underground basement with a water reservoir.

The Planning Authority turned down the request, observing that the applicant was using his land for illegal trapping and already had several rooms on his property that he could use as a store.

The Planning Authority also noted that Bigeni’s design of the ‘store’ was “not intended for agricultural use.”

After the refusal, Zammit appealed to the Environment Planning and Review Tribunal, but his appeal was rejected.

Alexander Bigeni.

The Planning Authority noted that Margaret Zammit lives at the same address as the original applicant and confirmed that this is Zammit’s third attempt to obtain a development permit, which is against the law.

Over the past few years, it has become common practice to file Outside Development Zone (ODZ) applications for the development of agricultural stores, which are then gradually converted into residences. Water reservoir permits often morph into pools for these residences.

For several years, Bigeni also served as a consultant to Minister Clint Camilleri.