The owner of a stretch of land outside the development zone in Bidnija is continuing with a series of illegal works on his property despite having been told to stop by the Planning Authority.
The illegal works include the construction of an extensive network of rubble walls, as well as the excavation of two terraced fields, which have since been converted into a single large field.
The site in question is a stretch of agricultural land near Sqaq ta’ San Pawl Milqi, off Triq tal-Milord in Bidnija and is the subject of various permit and sanctioning applications submitted over the past few years by applicants Emanuel and Shaun Bonavia.
How the field in question has changed over the past year
Last year, Emanuel Bonavia had submitted an application proposing the relocation of a Fgura farmhouse to the Bidnija site.
The applications – most of which have been withdrawn and none of which have been approved – relate to different parts of the same large site and, viewed holistically, suggest plans to convert the field into a residence.
The latest in a series of illegalities has seen the owner of the site excavate two terraced fields without the prior approval of the Planning Authority, converting them into a single field.
The matter was reported to the PA just over a year ago but no action was taken. Photos sent to Lovin Malta show excavation equipment blatantly digging up the site in plain sight, despite the lack of a permit.
The works continued this year with another report being lodged with the Planning Authority some weeks ago. While the PA said it had informed the site owner to cease all works, no enforcement notice has been issued to date and works continue unabated.
More recent photos of the site seen by this website show the field having been covered in soil. The field in question, part of the larger site owned by Bonavia, is the subject of an application for the sanctioning of works currently underway.
An aerial shot of excavation works on the site
The excavated field is situated in a part of the site which is accessible from Burmarrad and is likely part of a broader plan to make it easily accessible by car.
In other parts of the larger site, construction material continues to be dumped, as though it were ready to be used for construction.
In fact, viewed holistically, the various applications submitted indicate plans for significant development, including the construction of new roads and access points.
Work on the site continues.
Check out Lovin Malta’s Planning Web, the country’s first transparent and open platform letting you look at the ins and outs of Malta’s urban planning sector.
Share this with someone that needs to read it
Recent Comments