Five environmental NGOs have ramped up their battle against an application by construction mogul Joseph Portelli to build a swimming pool in Marsalforn Valley.

The pool is planned at the back of a seven-storey block of flats in Xagħra belonging to Portelli and his partners.

Din L-Art Helwa, Flimkien għal Ambjent Ahjar, Għawdix, Moviment Graffitti and Wirt Għawdex filed a judicial protest on Monday, calling on the Planning Authority to reject the application.

Plans for the pool have twice been recommended for refusal but a final decision has not been made. It is expected to be decided on Tuesday, with indications showing that the permit will be granted.

Last month, the Planning Commission asked Portelli to reduce the size of the pool and once again deferred a decision on the controversial application.

The application, PA/07509/21, is earmarked for a site directly in the Marsalforn valley and is largely outside the development zone. Conservationists argue it could set a devastating precedent for construction on the valley. The application was filed by Portelli and his partners the Agius brothers (Ta Dirjanu) and Daniel Refalo.

In a statement, the NGOs said the eight-storey development already breached the Gozo & Comino Local Plan, and the policy which precludes major developments on Gozo’s protected ridges.

“At eight storeys, this development is the most abusive ridge-edge project so far, as not only does it change the landscape, dominating it from miles around, the hillside was gouged out to accommodate the project,” they said.

They noted that the local plan states that “the policy on swimming pools in ODZ (Feb 2000) shall not be applicable to ODZ areas adjacent to ridge edges unless it can be proven that these interventions are occurring on existing (permitted) established gardens, and the intervention complements the sensitive characteristics of the ridge edge.” 

“Swimming pools along the side of valley here would destroy the lush vegetation and trees of this untouched site, and this precedent could lead to much wider destruction of valleys all over Gozo,” they said.

The NGOs said the Planning Commission was set to issue the permit, “in defiance of the recommendation for refusal by the PA case officer”.

This had already happened with other Portelli projects in Qala and Sannat, they noted.

The eNGOs insisted that the legally-ratified local plan was to be respected and no amount of tweaking of plans in favour of speculators should be allowed to override the law and public interest.