Under new planning minister, Planning Authority grants permit for ‘agricultural store’ repeatedly refused

The Planning Authority has granted Margaret Zammit, a Gozitan registered ‘farmer’, a permit for an ‘agriculture store’ in Mgarr ix-Xini valley after she engaged a new architect to submit the same plans presented by her husband, which the Authority repeatedly rejected.

With the help of the Planning Minister’s cousin, architect Alex Bigeni, Zammit was given the planning permit, even though the same application, formerly filed by Zammit’s husband, Jeffrey, was twice previously rejected.

According to previous decisions by the Planning Authority on Jeffrey Zammit’s application filed in 2019, the parcel of agricultural land on which he wanted to build his ‘store’ and ‘reservoir’ was already served by other structures. Also, the land in Mgarr Ix-Xini was found to be “used for illegal hunting”.

The Planning Authority had also pointed out that the 40-square-metre store was “not intended for agricultural use”.

Zammit filed an appeal after the Planning Authority refused the permit. Yet this was also rejected by the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal (EPRT) on appeal.

Shortly after, the same application was filed in the name of Margaret Zammit, the developer’s wife.

The Planning Authority Directorate’s officials again recommended a refusal and stated clearly that this was the third time the Zanmits were trying to get a valid permit.

This time around, the Gozitan’s application was to be heard and decided while the Planning Authority fell under the responsibility of a different minister – Clint Camilleri – who is also the Gozo Minister.

Instead of throwing out the latest application, the government-appointed Planning Commission, headed by Martin Camilleri, suddenly changed tack and gave architect Bigeni three consecutive postponements so that he could provide clarifications and a few changes to the plans.

An enforcement team was also sent on-site to determine whether the other structures on the land were not owned by the Zammits, as the applicant had stated in a signed affidavit.

The Planning Authority Directorate’s officials noted that while it was confirmed that the existing structures belonged to third parties, the Zammits had recently transferred them to other members of the family and presented them as owned by third parties. The Directorate still retained its stance on refusing permission.

Yet, this time, the Planning Commission decided otherwise. Accepting the argument of the transfer ‘to third parties’, the Commission said Margaret and Jeffrey Zammit had a right to build their own ‘store’.

Martin Camilleri, Frank Ivan Caruana Catania, and Joel Fenech, all appointed by the Minister, voted to grant permission, which went against the Directorate’s recommendation.

In compensation, they ordered the Zammits to plant six trees to mitigate their building’s effect on the environment.

In recent years, particularly in Gozo, Planning Authority permits for agricultural stores, sheep farms, and stables, many of which were fronted by architect Bigeni, have become the order of the day.

It is an open secret that these stores eventually turn into residences and reservoirs into pools acquired for a fraction of the price because they are on agricultural land.