A planning application that will see 26 apartments added on to an “already enormous block” filed by developer Joseph Portelli’s business partner Mark Agius has been approved by the Planning Authority, Moviment Graffitti said.

The application is situated in Triq Bebunaq in Sannat – the same road where Portelli’s associates had separate controversial developments approved by the Planning Authority already.

“As expected, another one of Joseph Portelli’s monstrosities has been greenlit by the PA. This application, filed with his associate Mark Agius, will add 27 apartments to an already enormous block of 124 apartments, just a few metres from the Ta’ Ċenċ cliffs,” the NGO Moviment Graffitti said in a statement.

“This is the fifth application of this project that will now destroy the peace and quiet in Sannat and the Gozitan cliffs. Construction magnate Joseph Portelli has learned to use this piecemeal approach to evade scrutiny – and the Planning Authority refuses to take this into account,” the NGO said.

Filed by Portelli’s associate Mark Agius, the application combines an already existing block of flats and an undeveloped plot of land adjacent to it.

The proposal for the undeveloped site is to construct two basement levels of private garages, proposed 5 maisonettes at ground floor level and 15 apartments at levels 1, 2 and 3 and a further receded floor level with four apartments. The application then proposes an extension to the existing block of flats, which contains three apartments, by a full floor and another receded floor.

The location is not far from the Natura 2000 site of Ta’ Cenc cliffs.

“This project was approved just one day after another one of Portelli's mega-developments was endorsed by the PA in Balzan,” Moviment Graffitti had said in its post.

“We have collected enough funds to appeal the last application that was approved in an irregular manner. Our authorities refuse to work for us. Our fight continues,” Graffitti said.