Beppe Fenech Adami ordered to remove Gharghur home illegalities

Nationalist MP Beppe Fenech Adami has been ordered to remove any illegalities from his Gharghur home, after the Planning Authorities rejected a sanctioning application.
Back in July 2017, the former PN deputy leader requested planning approval to sanction the landscaping he carried out at the back of his villa, which was not in line with original plans.

But in December, the Planning Authority’s planning directorate recommended that his request – which includes a request to permit a coop of emus, peacocks and ducks – cannot be approved.

While the home is within development boundaries, the swimming pool and field areas are ODZ.

The Environment and Resources Authority said the field behind Fenech Adami’s house had been ‘formalised’ into a garden, something that was not allowed

The Planning Commission rejected the application on Wednesday, after the Environment and Resources Authority objected due to “take-up of agricultural land and excessive site formalisation through the introduction of built development.”

The application did not provide enough detail on the material of the animal enclosures, while the chicken coop included a structure of stone, contrary to rural policy.

Additionally, Fenech Adami’s proposal did not provide adequate details on the animal enclosures he currently has on site, which might have to be equipped with a different type of enclosure. The PA’s agricultural advisory committee said the MP had a coop at the back and plans to build an aviary: the coop had nothing short of seven hens, four cocks, nine guinea fowl, a turkey, two emus, eight ducks and two peacocks, while the aviary is planned to hold zebra finches, Java sparrows, canaries and budgies.
The case officer noted no issues with sanctioning the swimming pool area, which had been marginally reduced from that approved.

The Labour Party yesterday said the PA’s decision confirmed that Fenech Adami had attempted to deceive in insisted his land was in line with the law.

“Fenech Adami is not the first MP to behave contrary to the PN stance on ODZ land and face no censure from the party leadership.”
PL therefore insisted that the Opposition has no credibility when speaking about environmental protection.