Rabat council opposes ODZ villa plan that threatens views and caves
Mayor warns proposed development could set a precedent
The Rabat Local Council has formally objected to the proposed reconstruction of a partly damaged pre-1967 room, arguing that it would obstruct panoramic sea and countryside views from the site.
The Planning Authority application (PA/00274/25), submitted on behalf of de Petri Testaferrata Group Ltd, proposes the reconstruction of a roof over a pre-1967 room, partial reconstruction of a damaged room, demolition of a low-ceiling room, and the construction of an extension to an existing dwelling, including an internal staircase linking it to upper-level rooms. The site is located in an Outside Development Zone (ODZ).
In a statement on Thursday, the Rabat Local Council described the proposed “villa” as visually and environmentally invasive, noting that the area is of “high landscape value.”
The sea views from the current building. Photo: Planning Authority“The proposed works are invasive for the natural habitat and destroy the beauty of the area, even if the project is hidden within so-called ‘landscaping’,” the council said.
It warned that approving this development could set a dangerous precedent for similar future projects that would further erode the untouched rural landscape of Rabat.
The council also flagged the presence of “important caves” beneath the site, which it said risk being compromised or even destroyed entirely by the development.
“This project could be a strategy to eat away the only land left free from construction—to destroy it as other areas in Rabat have been destroyed,” Rabat mayor Sandro Craus and executive secretary Anthony Bonello said in a joint statement.
They further argued that the applicant must prove residence on the site prior to 1978 for the application to be considered valid by the Planning Authority.