Rabbit farm given permit 12 days after Gonzi visit

Maghtab rabbit farm graced by prime minister during elections was waiting a permit to sanction illegal works.

A Maghtab rabbit farm, visited by ex-Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi in the third week of the electoral campaign, was still awaiting a permit to sanction illegal works on the same site.  

The farm is located 20 metres from a 17th century historical chapel dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.

The permit for the sanctioning of parts of this farm and its extension was issued 12 days after former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi visited the farm during the electoral campaign.

During the visit to the Eurostar rabbit farm in Maghtab on 25 January, Gonzi referred to the allocation of €150,000 in EU funds to the owner of this farm.

The application on this pending planning application was first discussed by MEPA's Environment Planning Commission on 9 January.  n this meeting the board expressed concerns regarding the visual impact of new and additional structures being proposed at roof level and side blank wall in very close proximity to the historical chapel.

The board also referred to allegations by objectors that farm was already in operation, calling on enforcement officers to inspect and confirm whether this was the case.

It also transpires that on 21 January MEPA received a letter from the Superintendent for Cultural Heritage asking to be "consulted on such applications."

On 5 February the Superintendence wrote a strongly worded letter to MEPA referring to the fact that "the site is already partly built. "Some of the existing structures are illegal and are being proposed for sanctioning."

It also referred to proposed "rock-cut basements" proposed in the new application. The application was deemed to have a considerable impact on the chapel. "The volume and height of the proposed structure will dwarf the historic chapel."

The SCH also referred to the increase in traffic in the area.

If the application is to be further considered the SHC called for change in plans to ensure that the new building does not dwarf the church and that the façade of the new building is receded as far as possible away from the monument.  It also called on MEPA to ensure that any rock cutting was to be carried out in a way, which did not affect the chapel.

In view of the high architectural value of the chapel the SCH also called on MEPA to schedule the chapel to ensure its protection against inappropriate development.

The application was unanimously approved a day after MEPA received the SCH's letter.  

In its decision the board gave the applicant five more days to submit fresh drawings specifying that the boundary wall facing chapel was to be a 1.2m "random rubble wall".

It also called on the owner to submit a construction method statement ensuring that no damage is carried out to the chapel during excavation, rock cutting and construction works.

This was to be accompanied by the submission of a bank guarantee of €3,500.

avatar
Ara trid vera tkun MIGNUN biex tighd li il Gvern u mifxul wahda seww!! ALLA qabel joqtlok igennek jighdu siehbi !!!
avatar
Jista' xi hadd jilluminani jekk inhix nifhem sewwa li l'applikant inghata 150,000 euro fondi mill-EU biex ghamel xogholijiet illegali, u wara vista mill-ex-PM inghata il-permess. Mela l-EU ma tiskrutinnax kif jintefqu l-fondi taghha, f'dan il-kaz f'xoghol illegali?
avatar
HA! One of the last acts of despair by the outgoing MEPA administration. Shame! Shame! Shame!
avatar
FURTHER EVIDENCE OF CORRUPTION BY GONZIPN. IT IS NEVER ENDING AND TYPICAL OF THE WAY IT OPERATED, BOTH IN THE 2008 ELECTIONS AND IN THE RECENT ONE. IT IS DISGUSTING AND SUCH PERMITS GIVEN TO BUY VOTES SHOULD BE RESCINDED. THEY DESTROY OUR HERITAGE AND OUR ENVIRONMENT.
avatar
Sur Miġnun,li tneħħi il-burokrazija mod ta' kif tagħmel l-affarijiet aktar faċli,mentri li tuza il Power of Incumbency hu abbuz ta' poter,speċjalment meta tkun waqt kampanja elettorali. Li tgħid li lill dawk li jridu jaħdmu għandna nħalluhom jaħdnu,hu tajjeb ħafna,izda dan irid ikun ma kullħadd u mhux ma min hu tal-qalba biss u lill oħrajn tħallihom jixxejru.Kull min irid joħloq ix-xogħol,hu min hu,merħba biħ u għandu jsib kull għajnuna.Rigward min hu mifxul,staqsi lin-Nazzjonalisti bħallissa u mhux lili.
avatar
Min irid jahdem u johloq l-impjiegi ghandna nghinuh mhux naghmlulhu l-bsaten fir-roti. Mela issa spiccat l-ghajta ta qabel l-elezzjni 'inehhu l-burakrazija' u l-ghajta tas-sur Sandro Chetcuti, 'Halluna nahdmu', sur Tony Vella? Ma tafux x'ser taqbdu tghidu...mifxulin wahda u sew!!
avatar
Who said something about Power of Incumbency ?