Developer Paul Attard moves closer to grabbing public land in Qajjenza

The Planning Authority is set to give another major push to developer Paul Attard’s plans to build his latest major flats project in Qajjenza, Birzebbuġa, on land owned mainly by the public.

While Environment Minister Miriam Dalli has publicly stated that Enemalta has no intention of selling the land to Attard, she instructed the corporation to grant its consent so that the Planning Authority can consider Attard’s latest multi-million-euro development application.

Dalli was elected from Birzebbuġa, where the former Qajjenza LPG bottling plant is located and on which Paul Attard, the MDA secretary-general, has set his eyes.

The rezoning application (PC00022/23), which aims to change the area’s development rules and set the stage for Attard and his company PLAN B to transform it into a massive apartment and commercial project, is slated for approval by the Planning Authority on Thursday.

‘Tweaking’ rules for greener spaces

In a departure from current development rules, the Planning Directorate, which studied Attard’s latest plans, admitted that his proposal did not conform to the area’s current height limitations.

Attard plans to build his blocks of flats, offices and shops higher than permitted.

Artistic impression of the hundreds of apartments Paul Attard wanted to build on public land.

Still, instead of following the rules, the Planning Directorate chose to take Attard’s architect’s suggestion to reach a ‘compromise’ allowing him to increase the height limits.

According to the unsigned case officer’s report, since Attard proposes to increase green spaces on the large plot and protect heritage (retaining a large concrete canopy), he should be allowed to build further above the current height limitation.

The case officer’s justification for a compromise.

The office of Attard’s architect, Stephen Vancell, suggested the plans and the latest’ compromise’. They were originally drawn by architect Nadine Micallef, the wife of EU Commissioner Glenn Micallef and, until a few months ago, the right-hand man of Prime Minister Robert Abela.

Planning Authority hides public land ownership information

Enemalta and the Lands Authority own most of the land on which Attard wants to make his latest fortune through public land.

The northern part of the land is privately owned by the Mifsud family – including relatives of former PL candidate Alfred Mifsud.

In 2021, Paul Attard entered into a €12 million promise of sale agreement with the Mifsuds to buy their land, forming part of the former LPG plant. This acquisition is being financed through a public bond.

Still, to realise his project, Attard must seal a deal with the government on the rest of the public plot.

The government, Enemalta and the Lands Authority own 17,000 square metres of the 23,000 square metre plot.

For some unknown reason, the ownership information was omitted from the case officer’s report, which was presented to the Planning Authority Executive Board for a decision.

The Case Officer’s report did not include information on the ownership of the plot.

In the meantime, all three public stakeholders have given Attard consent to seek the rezoning of the whole plot, even though Minister Dalli publicly stated that she was opposed to this development.

Without her consent, the Planning Authority wouldn’t even be able to consider Attard’s application.

Until a few months ago, Attard planned to build the whole plot across the seashore, with high blocks of commercial space on the front.

Following opposition from hundreds of objectors, including the Birżebbuġa Labour local council, the plans were rehashed. Attard pushed his designs to develop the latter part of the plot and tried to leave the front as a public open space.

Still, his proposals include building on large parts of public land he does not own.

Questions to Enemalta about what it intends to do with this public land and whether it already has some ‘understanding’ with the developer were unanswered.

Qajjenza is the latest controversial mega-project Attard wants to develop on public land.

Just a few years ago, Attard ‘acquired’ a green lung in Mellieha Heights from the government on very favourable finance terms to turn it into tens of apartments.

The deal involved very questionable negotiations and an eventual tender issued by the Lands Authority, which gave the MDA secretary general the right of first refusal.

Despite the opposition and an ongoing inquiry, Attard still got his way and was issued the necessary permits.

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Kevin Farrugia
Kevin Farrugia
12 days ago

Il-Ministru qed topponi l-progett imma tat permess lill-GAP biex japplika fuq l-art tal-Gvern! Qed nifhem sew x’kontradizzjoni bazwija din. Imma hadd mhu jxommha tinten din. Mhux ahjar isir gnien pubbliku jekk veru nemmnu fis-sostenibilita tal-ambjent!

Ma nistax nifhem kif il-Ministru li tohrog fuq dan id-distrett ha ssawwat lin-nies tal-Qajjenza biex titlef il-voti. Xi haga mhux iddoqli, inkella l-Ministru taf li ha tmur ahjar bil-progett li m’ghandu xejn x’jaqsam mal-ministeri taghha ANZI progett li jmur kontra il-ministeru taghha tal-Green.

M.Galea
M.Galea
12 days ago
Reply to  Kevin Farrugia

Miljuni fil but taghhom imma l poplu ghadu ma fehem xejn

M.Galea
M.Galea
12 days ago

Gvern mafia jaghti art pubblika lil privat biex tinbena appartamenti w hawn xi hadd fidil jahseb li ser igawdi biss l izviluppatur!!!? Jahasra…ghalhekk dal hmieg politici saru miljunarji w l poplu rieqed. Hadulek kollox. Hadulek pajjizek. Pajjiz gabuh rebus u kullhadd rieqed!!!

Darren Galea
Darren Galea
12 days ago

Don’t these people have enough money yet for God’s sake? If not, when is enough enough? Malta is tiny and limited but these people are forever looking for places to build their hideous brutalist apartment blocks making Malta look more Soviet with each passing day. Qatta mejtin bil-ġuħ!

J Abela
J Abela
11 days ago

To be fair, the proposal that has reached the planning board is different than the artistic impression in this article, with most of the proposed development located on the part still owned by the Mifsud Family (Zone H) and which was included through the controversial 2006 rationalisation scheme into the development zone. The land in public ownership is largely being earmarked for public open space.

However, what I find really objectionable at this stage is that three blocks dedicated to commercial use are still being proposed on the northern part of Zone A (the publicly owned land). There is no public interest in having commercial development on public land. The economy is creating jobs for people across the world and there is no shortage of jobs for the Maltese. One would also argue that there is no private interest either. There is a glut of commercial development in the market and very few developers are touching commercial development investments at the moment. There are still large swats of land across Malta zoned for commercial development that are yet undeveloped and others that are being converted through PC applications for mixed use (with a residential components), precisely because purely commercial development is not very viable.

So why zone public land for commercial development? There is literally no private nor public interest in this.

Last edited 11 days ago by J Abela
Dunalf@yahoo.com
10 days ago

Shame.shame shame.dawn jorqdu bi

lejl
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