Four eNGOs, who flagged concern over an application for stables adjacent to a protected area near Ta' Ċenċ Cliffs, are calling for a police investigation into allegations of collusion involving the Sannat Local Council.
On Monday, Għawdix, Din l-Art Ħelwa Għawdex, Moviment Graffitti and Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar said in a statement they were concerned about a rubble wall built along the perimeter of land touted for development.
They claim PVC pipework has been hidden inside the wall, part of which was built by the Sannat Local Council using EU rural funds as well as national funds.
The organisations said they have written to the Police Commissioner, calling for an investigation "into potential collusion involved in the construction" of this part of the wall.
They have also alerted the EU Commission about the matter.
They believe the pipework, and additional photographic evidence, prove that the rubble wall was demolished and built from scratch using mostly fresh stones. Such work requires a planning permit.
"However, the Sannat local council did not apply for a permit. As such, any application on the site - such as the stables - has to include sanctioning of the rubble walls.
'What will the stables be used for?'
"It is also not clear what the stables will be used for, and why this particular applicant wants to have stables at this location. A certificate by a veterinarian submitted by the applicant states that the horses are currently being kept in stables that 'are suitable for the upkeep of horses'. This shows there is no need for new stables to relocate the horses to," they added.
Last month, the four eNGOs warned the application had been recommended for approval without taking into consideration the land ownership and use of the stables.
They wrote to the chair of the Planning Authority and Planning Commission, as well as the Environment and Resources Authority about their concerns over PA/07996/21.
On Monday they reiterated their concern that the commission was considering green-lighting the four stables in a site that is adjacent to a Natura 2000 spot and Special Area of Conservation.
'Why isn't the land title document public?'
They claim that land ownership registration records at the land registry, "as well as the nature of the works on ODZ rubble walls clearly show that this large area is linked to Excel Investments Limited, where the company, owned by Joseph Portelli and his partners, have already been granted a permit for 124 flats - and there are two additional ongoing applications, including one for 24 flats".
They add that according to the Planning Authority’s latest report on the case, the architect of the applicant for the stables submitted a contract as evidence of the title on the property. However, the authority did not make this report publicly available.
"Failure to make this report publicly available after this matter was raised in the planning commission’s meeting raises doubts about transparency, and as such, the NGOs will be demanding on Tuesday (tomorrow) that this report be made public to enable scrutiny".