NGO resists ‘miraculous’ ODZ home application for minister’s driver

Din l-Art Ħelwa Għawdex is urging the public to object to plans by Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri’s driver, Ronnie Camilleri, to build a residence on an Outside Development Zone site in Nadur previously approved for a garage.

“An ugly garage miraculously expands into a fully fledged house in a green area, commanding sweeping views over the Ramla Valley below,” the NGO said in its latest public appeal.

The application, PA/05649/26, proposes constructing a residential dwelling, altering the garage controversially approved under PA/05478/23 and building a rubble wall at Triq ta’ Ħida, Nadur.

The planning details identify Ronnie Camilleri as the applicant and Perit Alexander Bigeni as the architect.

The NGO questioned why the Planning Authority had accepted the application in the first place, stressing that the site lies beyond the boundaries of land designated for development.

“When will the meaning of ODZ finally be understood???” it asked.

The appeal follows The Shift’s report revealing the residential proposal and revisiting concerns raised before the original garage permit was issued in 2024.

The Planning Directorate had recommended refusal of that proposal, while the Environment and Resources Authority questioned whether the development was genuinely intended to serve as a garage.

Residents and environmental organisations also objected. The Planning Commission postponed its decision three times, allowing revised plans, before granting permission for a reduced development.

The latest proposal now explicitly seeks residential development on the same rural parcel, bringing renewed attention to the concerns raised during the earlier planning process.

Din l-Art Ħelwa Għawdex called on residents to help protect Gozo’s green areas and submit objections before 22 September 2026.

Members of the public can lodge representations through the Planning Authority’s online form, quoting PA/05649/26.