The public is being urged to voice its objections to a large development in Nadur, already recommended for approval, during a final Planning Authority hearing being held on Friday. 

Once approved, the project, overlooking a green valley in Nadur, would see the construction of basement garages for 61 car spaces and 39 overlying apartments and eight penthouses.

The development has drawn strong criticism for years, with four NGOs starting legal action last year in a bid to stop it. 

Those opposing the project say the development goes against the Gozo and Comino local plans and that it would take up a huge area of arable land that is still actively worked by farmers. 

They also argue that the road in the area is too narrow for such a project and that an existing parking problem would be made worse. The development would also restrict access to the Natura 2000 site of Il-Qortin.

Residents in the area also fear that since the area is not connected to the sewage system, there would be sewage seeping into their homes while they also believe the development jars with the rest of the landscape and will therefore be an eyesore. 

An initial application, which would have seen more apartments being built, had seen more than 1,000 people submitting objections. As a result, the company behind the project - Titan Development Limited - suspended the application before reactivating it some months later with scaled-down plans.

Times of Malta had also reported last year that a number of Nadur and Qala residents had been approached to pay hefty sums of money for their property, as a land-ownership dispute – unwittingly sparked more than 300 years ago – resumed. In 2020, a foundation, which calls itself the Benefiċċju Lajkali ta’ Sant’ Antonio delli Navarra, claimed ownership of the land and registered it in its name, sparking outrage and despair among residents.

The case officer tasked by the Planning Authority to review the project has recommended it be approved.