Plans to build a villa on a valley cliff edge in Gozo have been put on hold until a tribunal can consider an appeal against the proposal. 

The proposal for a villa in Sqaq Anton Mallia in Żebbuġ was approved by the Planning Authority back in June. The Environment and Resources Authority had immediately appealed. 

On Friday, the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal ordered a halt to all works until the appeal was determined. The developer must now wait until the tribunal rules on the case within the next three months.

Appeals against the proposal emphasised the fact that the villa would be built in an area of high landscape value which has also been proposed as an area of ecological importance. 

"The proposed development will completely eradicate the cliff edge and formalise a site that is currently in a pristine site, while creating a private belvedere," the ERA said. 

The ERA has said that the PA’s Commission “ignored” the assessment of the ERA’s case officer as well as that of external consultants and objectors and that the developer did not provide information requested by the ERA, the PA’s Design
Advisory Committee and the Planning Directorate. 

Three quarters of the site in question is in an Outside Development Zone, the ERA said. 

The PA and the developer have been given until September 30 to file their reply to the appeal. The tribunal will hold a sitting concerning the case on October 8.