A planning application filed by Lydia Abela, Prime Minister Robert Abela’s wife, to convert a Gozo farmhouse into a guest house was approved earlier this month.

The already-built farmhouse, within Xewkija's urban conservation area, is set to become an eight-bedroom guesthouse with a pool, wine cellar and breakfast area.

The property spans some 1,910 square metres, including its garden and outdoor areas.

The farmhouse’s intended use has also been changed from residential to commercial, indicating that it will be used as a guesthouse once works are completed.

In its correspondence with the Planning Authority, the Malta Tourism Authority found “no objection” to the development, granting it a Tourism Policy Compliance Certificate. The property will still need to obtain an operating license to operate as a guesthouse, the authority noted.

Minutes from the Planning Authority’s board meeting show that the application was approved unanimously on February 2.

Previous applications withdrawn or abandoned

The farmhouse has been subject to several planning applications over the years.

In 2012, Abela was granted a permit to build a pool in the property’s backyard, but works were never carried out. The permit was renewed in 2017, but, once again, the works did not take place.

In January last year, Abela also applied to carry out several alterations to the property, including building a pool and a gym, however, the application was withdrawn weeks later.

The property has proven to be a controversial one in recent weeks, with several reports claiming that the Prime Minister had failed to declare the purchase of property in Xewkija publicly.

Questions have also been raised over how the property was paid for, with his personal wealth declarations seemingly unchanged from one year to the next.

Responding to questions, Abela denied having failed to declare the property, insisting that he paid for it via a cheque and "not a cent in cash".