AX Holdings Ltd are applying for permission for an 18-hole golf course and country club at the site beneath the Grand Hotel Verdala, Rabat.

Only last Monday, Mepa’s planning directorate suggested that the application is turned down, a recommendation that was welcomed by various environmental organisations who called on Mepa’s board to agree with the authority’s technical sector.

The application was submitted in 1999, immediately sparking opposition from environmental groups, farmers and, more recently, the Church.

AX Holdings continues to insist that the project is beneficial for the country, already saying that if the proposal is turned down the company will be filing an appeal.

The Mepa board will be meeting at 2.30pm.