Planning Authority set to approve further commercialisation near protected Għasri valley

A planning application to sanction unauthorised alterations and allow for the redevelopment of two houses into fully fledged holiday homes with adjacent pools in Għasri was recommended for approval by the Planning Authority (PA) despite objections.

The application, filed by architect Saviour Micallef on behalf of Steve Tabone, was recommended for approval despite several objections from residents, activists, and even relevant government authorities, such as the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA). The houses are located in Sqaq Wied tal-Qattus.

Tabone is the son of Xavier Tabone, the founder of Baron Group, a Gozitan company specialising in the provision of villas, apartments, and other holiday homes for short-term rentals.

While the developers insisted that the project was within the bounds of what is permissible for this countryside area, objectors flagged the project’s encroachment into the Outside Development Zone (ODZ) and the fact that its proposed pools cannot be constructed on the valley’s ridge.

A concerned resident who reached out to The Shift further noted that, besides the commercialisation of property which was once residential, the proposed development will also jar with its surrounding context and that the lack of parking space in the area is only going to get worse if and when the project is approved.

Besides objections from residents and neighbours, the development also faced objections from the Astronomical Society of Malta,  which drew the Authority’s attention to the proposed development’s lighting fixtures and how they would impact an ecologically sensitive area, and Moviment Graffitti, which objected to the introduction of “irreversible urban intrusion” in an area that is home to protected species.

The activist group also objected to the project on the grounds that it contravened several policies that regulate buildings in ODZ and Urban Conservation Areas (UCA), including excessive building height and alterations to historic structures.

In its brief objection note, ERA flagged the same issues, noting that the proposed interventions include two-storey extensions to the current dwelling, multiple pools, and landscaping.

“The scale of these interventions will result in a significant visual impact on the topography of the area. Furthermore, the approval of interventions beyond the development zone will result in land take-up in ODZ, site formalisation, intensification of urban-type uses in rural areas, and future pressures for further development in this area,” the ERA’s officer said.

While the case officer noted each and every objection, the development was nonetheless recommended for approval on the basis that the encroachments onto ODZ were minimal and could therefore be considered acceptable.