An environmental group is asking the planning authority to stop ongoing "abusive works" on the controversial Baħrija farmhouse belonging to former Nationalist Party president Victor Scerri.

However, Dr Scerri is insisting there is nothing abusive about the works that the Ramblers' Association is alleging are improper.

"It's not their business what I do on my land with valid permits. All the works that have been carried out, even in the past, were according to valid permits," Dr Scerri said when contacted.

The Baħrija development had sparked a controversy before the European Parliament elections in June and subsequently led to Dr Scerri's resignation. He had insisted he wanted to defend his case as a private citizen without dragging the party into the controversy.

The Ramblers said works had resumed at the environmentally-sensitive Baħrija site after a permit was withdrawn in August.

A permit for an extension was deemed to be illegal as an environment screening process had been ignored. However, the original building permit for the farmhouse remained valid because it was granted before the screening process was introduced.

The Ramblers filed an objection with the Malta Environment and Planning Authority saying that "heavy equipment is back on site with uncontrolled works perpetrating the ruination of the valley".

In its objections, the association informed the Environment Protection Directorate the new works had gone beyond the areas that had already been damaged before and water troughs that carried water to the adjacent field had been buried in clay. This meant the development interrupted part of the stream of running water, the association said.

It added that, before continuing any works, Dr Scerri was meant to obtain permission from the directorate.

Dr Scerri said this was not the case because he had the valid permits and did not need anything else. "If they are saying I am interrupting the steam then they are lying," he said, adding that the water troughs had been covered in clay for months since works had stopped in February.

"They (the water troughs) are my property. They have not been damaged," he said, adding that they were not old troughs but made of concrete.