The Government’s latest scheme promoting agri-tourism projects on plots outside development zones “is a veiled assault on virgin land”, according to Alternattiva Demokratika deputy chairman Carmel Cacopardo.
The new policy, open for a six-week public consultation period, will allow farmers to develop properties, which can accommodate tourists in the countryside. The main restriction is that the property needs to be developed on a plot of at least 60 tumoli.
“We have to protect what little unspoilt land we have left, not open this up for further development,” he said, adding that he was in favour of agri-tourism but insisted that it should be kept separate from property speculators.
Although aimed primarily at farmers, a clause in the proposal allows for private individuals to enter into a contractual partnership with farm owners over such developments.
Mr Cacopardo said the proposal would open stretches of previously unspoilt countryside to unruly developers.
What we have here is a hidden opportunity for entrepreneurs to enter a lucrative development area
“What we have here is a hidden opportunity for entrepreneurs to enter a lucrative development area. If they are allowed to get their hands on stretches of land previously outside development zones, we would have opened protected land for speculation and we all know what happens then,” he warned.
Planning Parliamentary Secretary Michael Farrugia said the partnership proposal would be strictly monitored by the planning authority to ensure against abuses.
“Half of the planning authority’s enforcement officers will be assigned to monitor developments within ODZ areas,” he said, adding that the 60 tumoli threshold was also intended to discourage widespread development.
However, Mr Cacopardo insisted that the scheme still opened the door to too much development.
He pointed out that while agri-tourism in Italy offered roughly 10 bed places per unit, the Maltese policy was allowing 20 beds per establishment.
Mr Cacopardo insisted the policy would see farmers and developers rush into what had proven to be a delicate industry.
“We can’t run before we’ve learnt to walk. This should be implemented slowly and through a planned approach. We can’t just open this as a free for all,” he said.
A Mepa spokesman said the developments would be complementary to the surrounding environment. New buildings would be allowed for specific uses. However, these would be built to specific rural stylistic specifications, he said.
Hotels and Restaurants Association president Tony Zahra echoed some of the criticism raised by Mr Cacopardo, arguing that the involvement of developers went against the spirit of the initiative that was aimed at rural farming communities.
He insisted that limiting the number of rooms and the size of areas upon which businesses could be developed was a step in the right direction but other rigid controls would have to be put in place too.