The Swieqi and San Ġwann local councils have reservations over the proposed development of a tourist village in an ODZ valley between the two localities.
San Ġwann mayor Etienne Bonello DuPuis said the project would disturb Wied Għomor Valley, one of the last remaining green open spaces in the area.
Plans for the proposed development, spread across 13,000 square metres of green land, were submitted to the planning authority earlier this month.
The project seeks to redevelop an existing abandoned cow farm into a complex that includes residential units, pools, a chapel, a spa and a restaurant. The development, proposed by Rodrick Fenech, owner of Mensija Real Estate Ltd, is located outside of the development zone.
Mr Bonello DuPuis said the council would be holding a special ad hoc meeting next week to discuss the development and take an official position.
“This project would destroy what is left of that valley. We can, if we agree too, file an official objection with the planning authority. We will be discussing this matter and consulting an architect,” he said.
We lack green spaces, open spaces, areas where the community can come together
Meanwhile, Swieqi deputy mayor Justin Fenech said his council would also be discussing the matter in the coming days. The Swieqi council has not yet taken an official position.
Dr Fenech said the council had not been informed or consulted about the proposal and learnt about it from the media.
“We are currently having internal discussions to come out with a position that will reflect the interests of our residents,” he said.
Asked how he felt about the project, Dr Fenech said only that “in general”, the council had not been positive about the “overdevelopment of the Swieqi area”.
“We lack green spaces, open spaces, areas where the community can come together and now it seems that this valley, which is one of the last green arteries in the area, is targeted for more development even though it is an ODZ area,” he said.
Mr Bonello DuPuis later added that the project would also create “traffic havoc” in the area, putting added strain on the already busy road network between the two localities.
The original permit on the cow farm dates back to 1975. An application proposing some 40 maisonettes had been turned down by the authorities 10 years ago. Back then, the proposal had been revoked because the area was outside the development boundaries and located in a rural conservation area.