Tourist village proposed for Swieqi’s abandoned cow farm

New plans have been submitted to redevelop an existing abandoned cow farm in the Wied Ghomor Valley in San Gwann into a tourist village spread over 13,000 square metres of land.   

The development, proposed by Rodrick Fenech, who owns Mensija Real Estate Ltd, is located outside the development zones. Plans seen by MaltaToday include residential units, pools, a chapel, a spa and a pizzeria.

The original permit to construct a “cowshed” on an existing farm dates back to September 1975. The built up area occupies 1,300 square metres and part of the building is four storeys high.

A previous application proposing 42 maisonettes in the area presented by previous owner Raymond Calleja had been turned down by MEPA in 1997. The decision was reconfirmed in 1998 and 2000.

The proposal was shot down because the development proposed was outside the development boundaries and is located in a rural conservation area where only development essential to agriculture, or which enhances the areas’ scenic and ecological nature, can be allowed.

The developer had argued that the existing cow farm is a visual eyesore and the development of villas in the vicinity of the farm threatened its legality due to the rule forbidding livestock farms, which lie fewer than 200 metres from residences.  

The owner even claimed that his own farm located in the valley bed was a threat to the water table and a source of pollution.  

MEPA rebutted these arguments, insisting that “if the existing building constitutes an eyesore it should be removed and the site reinstated” to its natural state. MEPA also argued that removing a livestock farm should not serve as a pretext for urban development in the countryside. 

 The developer asked for a reconsideration of this decision but the decision was confirmed in 1998. Two years later the refusal was confirmed by the Appeals Tribunal. An application presented by Dian Calleja in 2010 was withdrawn.