Green NGOs are up in arms against the development of 98 bungalows in Mellieha by a company owned by Albert Mizzi, the property magnate who once quipped the public should hang him if he ruined the Tignè peninsula with his MIDI development project.
In April, MaltaToday revealed a stretch of virgin land behind the Mellieha Bay Hotel in Ghadira, consisting of trees and protected garigue, had been earmarked for the development of villas outside the development zone (ODZ).
The Ramblers Association has described the application as “nothing less than a get-rich-quick scheme disguised as a tourism development, by erecting buildings in the name of tourism in ODZ areas, then turning them into expensive residential accommodation a few years later.”
But Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, now the minister for environment, has toned down his previous stance on ODZ applications.
While the Ramblers Association reminded MEPA that the development application for the villas should be rejected outright in the light of Gonzi’s recent statement that “ODZ is ODZ”, on Sunday the prime minister was less categorical.
Asked about his stance on ODZ development, Gonzi said one has “to be very careful not to have a system that then stagnates the whole economy” – signalling a step back from his electoral pledge.
While reiterating that as “a rule, ODZ applications should be turned down”, he added that “we should have a transparent mechanism which allows certain types of development in ODZ, mostly agricultural in nature.”
The planning application presented by the Mellieha developers’ architect seeks an outline permit for the construction of 98 new units, which includes bungalows with pools, three car parks, a restaurant, and a leisure and welfare centre on this pristine area in Mellieha.
The proposed development is set to cover a footprint of 5,400 square metres. It also entails the felling of trees. A small part of the area covered by the application is designated as a site of ecological and scientific importance.
When contacted by the newspaper Albert Mizzi revealed that this area had been given to him by the government for development. “What we are expecting is for MEPA to come back to us to tell us what sort of development can take place on this site,” Mizzi told MaltaToday when asked how the proposed development can fit in with the character of the area.
Mizzi is a director of the Mellieha Bay Hotel, which is partly owned by Mizzi Associated Enterprises Ltd. This company is owned by Alf Mizzi and Sons, in which Albert Mizzi is a shareholder.
In another statement, Flimkien Ghall-Ambjent Ahjar (FAA) reminded the public that the Mizzi has been responsible for the negative changes that have taken place at Santa Maria Estate in Mellieha as well as the overdevelopment and environmental damage at Tigné in Sliema. “FAA cannot but be concerned at the project which will eliminate one of the few remaining pristine sites.”

jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt