Gaffarena encounters push-back on proposal to turn field into warehouses

Notorious developer Marco Gaffarena, chiefly linked to Labour’s first major scandal under the administration of disgraced former prime minister Joseph Muscat, is unlikely to succeed in his long-standing attempt to convert agricultural land in Kirkop into a warehousing complex on Outside Development Zone (ODZ) land.

Although the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal (EPRT) had previously paved the way for Gaffarena to obtain a development permit, mounting public and political pressure over environmental degradation has prompted the Planning Authority (PA) board to signal that the permit will not be granted.

A final decision on the proposal, which seeks to transform a cultivated field adjacent to the airport into approximately 15 warehouses, is expected later this week.

During a recent PA board meeting convened to revisit the application submitted by architect Giorgio Schembri, a Nationalist Party election candidate representing Gaffarena, board members reaffirmed that agricultural land within ODZ areas should not be converted into industrial or commercial use.

They expressed agreement with the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA), which has warned that the proposed development would further erode agricultural land and run counter to national planning policies.

Gaffarena, infamous for his involvement in the Old Mint Street expropriation controversy, has sought to develop the site near Malta’s airport since 2004. Successive administrations have opposed various iterations of his plans, which have ranged from a batching plant to a warehousing complex.

In 2014, following the change in government, Gaffarena applied to build around 33 warehouses on the Kirkop site. The application was rejected.

However, in 2020, the EPRT, then chaired by architect Roderick Spiteri, ruled that while the proposal was too large in scale, the PA should reconsider its refusal if the plans were revised.

Subsequent discussions led Gaffarena to downsize the project to 15 warehouses, an office block, and a car park. Architect Schembri argued that the revised plans complied with the EPRT’s ruling and that the PA was therefore obliged to issue the permit subject only to conditions.

Initially, the PA, including its chairman Manuel Camilleri, appeared sympathetic to the developer’s interpretation. However, sentiment shifted abruptly amid growing public protests against the government’s Planning Bills, driven by Prime Minister Robert Abela, perceived to favour large developers and business interests.

At a PA board meeting held two weeks ago, members signalled a unanimous intention to vote against Gaffarena’s permit. The final decision is scheduled for Thursday, coinciding with deliberations on another controversial application – DB Group’s proposal to raise the height of its Pembroke towers by 13 storeys.

In contrast to the Gaffarena case, the PA is reportedly recommending approval for DB Group’s application.