Further erosion of development boundaries reported in Birkirkara, Nadur in Portelli-linked projects

Concerned residents highlighted various issues regarding recent planning decisions issued to rogue developer Joseph Portelli and his associates, following The Shift’s reporting of how the Planning Authority has deferred a decision on dozens of new flats earmarked for Xlendi, Gozo.

One of these permits refers to the recent approval of the construction of eight houses and an office in Triq Tumas Fenech in Birkirkara, which will now lead to the removal of the only cluster of trees in an area that is heavily urbanised.

The reader who shared this information with The Shift noted that this planning application for a Portelli-developed project was approved within minutes of the Planning Authority’s (PA) decision to postpone Portelli’s proposed apartment block in Xlendi, despite observable parallels between the two developments.

Portelli’s approved development in Triq Tumas Fenech consists of two floors and a receded third floor, which objectors argued goes against Urban Conservation Area’s (UCA) strict height limitation of just two floors.

Objectors further argued that the building’s size does not fit its context, given that one side of it will be situated in a narrow alley that measures just 2.8m at its widest point. They also raised concerns about how the building’s openings on that side of the development would invade the privacy of its neighbours.

“It is utterly disheartening to see PA officials once again appearing to disregard UCA regulations in favour of developer Joseph Portelli. Actions like these continue to erode public trust in our planning system and visible complacency only adds insult to injury,” the reader told The Shift.

J Portelli Projects’ promotional brochures listed the eight houses under development in Triq Tumas Fenech at prices ranging from €310,000 – €485,000. Six of those eight units include garages of varying sizes.

Meanwhile in Portelli’s hometown of Nadur, an architect who is closely tied to Portelli’s property ventures in Gozo, Alexander Bigeni, appears as the architect responsible for another Outside Development Zone (ODZ) application in Gozo that seeks to turn agricultural land into a two-floor residential dwelling.

Bigeni, who is also related to the Gozo Minister, repeatedly hit the headlines over a string of similar ODZ applications, his close ties with Portelli’s business, and his direct involvement in lucrative government contracts dished out to his biggest client.

The application, which is currently awaiting recommendation from the PA’s case officer, is the latest attempt to develop the plot following a string of rejected applications over the past 25 years.

Commenting on Portelli’s development in Nadur, one of our readers wrote that “endorsing this proposal would not correct a past error, it would compound it, setting a precedent that undermines both ODZ policy and enforcement integrity.”

The Environment and Resources Authority’s (ERA) officer had objected to the development due to its ODZ designation and the “susceptibility of the site and its surroundings to future pressures and commitments.”

While the developments reported in this article pale in comparison to Portelli’s massive towers in Paceville or any of the other major projects tied to him or his associates, they nonetheless help illustrate how even smaller scale projects linked with the developer are spilling out of development zones and infuriating nearby residents.