Qala mayor Paul Buttigieg said Gozitan business tycoon Joseph Portelli was so sure that he would have been granted permission to build swimming pools in protected land in the locality that works started well before.

In an interview with The Malta Independent on Sunday, Buttigieg said he had criticised the Planning Authority harshly during a hearing last Tuesday before Portelli was given the green light.

Portelli (above) is building a residential complex in the rural Gozitan village which will include 164 apartments, a pool area and a large garden.

“I told them that ‘I know that you are going to do whatever you want’," he said.

He said that he explained how the proposed pool area will replace a “heaven on earth”, as it was full of carob trees and “only God knows how much we used to play there when we were younger”.

Buttigieg said the local council has done whatever it could to fight against the project, but at the end it had lost the battle.

The mayor also expressed his concerns regarding the fact that unlike what happens usually for big planning projects, for this particular development in Qala no Environmental Impact Assessment was made, just because the project was split in four.

On the permission granted for the building of the pools, the Qala mayor said that the local council had not considered legal action because NGOs like Din l-Art Ħelwa and Graffitti took over “and we thought it would be enough”. Buttigieg said Qala residents know that the council was always against all development for the area.

 

Over-development in Gozo

He spoke about what has been described by many as “over-development” in Gozo, a subject that was even brought to Parliament’s attention in 2021. Gozitan mayors had joined forces in this regard after it had been revealed that a total of 1,314 permits had been granted in Gozo a year before.

In their presentation to MPs, Gozitan mayors expressed their worries and anger about the "unprecedented onslaught" of development in rural areas and village centres.

Buttigieg (above) said that nothing has changed since then. He added that the only thing which resulted from the meeting was “some temporary noise but nothing more”.

“Everyone has eyes, ears and a mind to think; they can see for themselves what is happening and come to their own conclusions,” he said.

The mayor said that the nation should cut down on construction exaggeration. From private conversations he had with other mayors, others are very unhappy with the over-development situation in Gozo.

 

April attack

Buttigieg, known for being vocal for what he believes in, in April had been attacked by an employee of a “well-known developer”.

He did not want to reveal who this “well-known developer” was unless it is revealed in court when it starts hearing the case in September.

At the time, Buttigieg had said that while he was overseeing cleaning works in the locality, a driver had rushed out of a truck and assaulted him physically.

Buttigieg had suffered minor injuries and had filed a report with the police.

 

Ħondoq saga

Asked about the 20-year-old saga to save the Gozitan Ħondoq Bay from becoming a commercialised yacht marina, Buttigieg said that PA has dragged its feet far too long and it’s high time that they take “this important decision”.

“We are still waiting for it (the decision). In the two years since we have appealed the decision we have only met in court with the PA two times,” he said.

He said that when the council had gone for the hearing in front of the PA board, it had to be rescheduled after it discovered that it was the same board that approved a previous appeal done by the council.

Since the appointment of the new board, there was only a site inspection, which was to aid the board in understanding the case.

Asked whether he would resign if there were to ever be any development on the bay, he replied in the negative and said that “I am never going to resign because I don’t want to give them the satisfaction”.

As long as the majority of people feel that there is too much development, “I am going to go all out against it,” said Buttigieg.

He added that whoever wants to join the crowd in trying to remove him from mayor, can have their go but at the end of the day “people and those who support me judge who was on the right track”.

He went on to say that unlike other previous governments, before being elected the new Labour administration had given assurances that they are not going to allow development at Ħondoq. This declaration can be found in their latest electoral manifesto.

He said that the PL, whom Buttigieg represents, had given him great importance when it came to speaking about Ħondoq ir-Rummien by allowing him to speak during a mass activity in Xagħra. On the same day the Hondoq declaration was being discussed.

Buttigieg insisted that the bay should go back to its original ODZ status and be recognised officially as afforestation.

“It (Ħondoq ir-Rummien) should be given its ODZ title back so that everyone can enjoy the beautiful sceneries and beach life,” he said.

He added that the local council does not want the bay to become privatised as the only area which is for the public is where there is sand and cement; other areas are owned by developers.

 

Closing of Qala Square

The mayor said he was against the closing of the Qala square to traffic for the weekend. This practice started with one day a week but since late last month the closure is now spread over three evenings, Friday to Sunday.

Buttigieg said that this closure favours businesses but not the residents.

Other councillors are in favour of the idea, and in spite of the mayor’s opposition, the proposal was accepted and implemented.

Before the council had taken the decision, Qala councillors had gone as far as using the social media to express their disapproval of the mayor’s position.

Commenting on this, Buttigieg said that “if I were an egoist I would have agreed immediately with the decision as that would assure that there would be no cars passing in front of my house all weekend long”.

He mentioned that some six years ago the square had been closed for a longer period of time when some embellishment works were taking place. This had caused traffic issues, including parking problems for the residents. “Everyone who needed or lived near the square was (saying) where are we going to park?” he said.

He added that during the same time, there were also more car accidents happening as traffic needed to pass from a one lane street both ways, something which is also happening now after the council pressured Buttigieg into a positive vote. Buttigieg explained that unlike other villages in Qala there is no bypass.

He added that the decision to close the Qala square should not have been taken so lightly as it connects the east with the west of the village. People, especially those who are coming from Hondoq during the summer and have to pass from that one-car street, are finding many problems with traffic and congestion.

“I heavily believe that with this decision Qala residents are going to suffer the greatest consequences, with businesses in the area benefitting the most.