[ad_1]
message
The Planning Authority has received more than a dozen separate applications for sheep farms in Gozo since mid-2022, prompting NGOs to call the situation “ridiculous” and question their authenticity.
Nearly two-thirds of applications were submitted through Alexander Bigeni, one of Malta’s most prolific architects, who works with Gozo and Planning Minister Clint Camilleri Camilleri, Gozitan developer Joseph Portelli and the current Labor government have close ties.
The list of applications was submitted to the council by Camilleri, who recently handed it over to the planning department. Figures show there have been 16 applications to build or convert properties into sheep farms since June 1, 2022.
Malcolm Borg, chairman of the NGO Għda Bdiewa Attivi, called the situation “ridiculous” in an interview with The Shift.
“In most cases, the people applying for these ‘sheep farms’ are not farmers themselves,” he said. “Architects recommend that many people adopt this approach to obtain permits for ODZ land,” he concluded.
Borg humorously referred to the number of sheep farm applications, saying: “If they were true, Malta would become an important country. We have,” referring to traditional cheese made from goat’s milk.
Most of the applications were also opposed by environmental NGO Din L-Art Ħelwa, which expressed concerns about “the occupation and regularization of land outside the development zone through requests that are neither deemed necessary nor justified”.
Speaking to The Shift, DLĦ president Alex Torpiano said the NGO “does not believe that all these applications are genuine”. While advocating for a clear strategic policy around these apps, he claimed that “the authorities were aware of this suspicious activity but took no action.”
In opposing the application, DLĦ warned that the construction of the sheep farm “will be formalized through basic works, which will serve as a possible excuse for future development.”
The published list shows Alexander Bigeni as the architect behind nearly two-thirds of Gozo’s sheep farm applications.
The Shift reported on Bigney’s livestock farm development boom two years ago and he is one of a handful of architects with close ties to the Labor Party whose application has received extremely high approval ratings.
Bigni is close to Goztan developer Joseph Portelli and minister Camilleri, with whom he has had close ties for many years and is his cousin.
Topiano suggested improving the current system, advocating for the development of a “national strategy for sheep farming” and questioning the number of applications. As of last year, there were more than 600 sheep and goat farms in Gozo, one for every 56 residents.
Asked about the apparent authenticity of some of the applications, he said that while some may indeed be so, “a large number of applications remain questionable.”
“This is a creeping problem,” Topiano said, noting that while “people may have the right to farm on ODZ land, their needs should not be taken for granted.” He concluded that currently The system allows “people to find vulnerabilities [in the planning approvals system] and take advantage of them. “
He referred to the recently approved application to build six villas on Mirib ODZ land and pointed out how existing buildings could be used to justify encroachment into the ODZ.
The Shift has reported extensively on ODZ planning applications that were submitted ostensibly for agricultural buildings but were actually used to build residential buildings. In 2022, Bidnija was given permission to build a three-story building under the guise of a sheep farm, sparking an outcry over the authorities’ inaction.
Both Borg and Topiano advocated for authorities to better monitor the use of the structure after it is approved. “What actually happens when it’s built?” Borg asked. Topiano called for a policy that would mandate the demolition of buildings if owners are found to be using them beyond their intended use.
Sign up for our newsletter
stay informed
Get special updates directly in your inbox
Don’t worry, we don’t send spam
[ad_2]
Source link