Gaffarena plans to build agritourism complex

Mark Gaffarena has applied to build an agritourism complex on a field in Tal-Ħandaq acquired in the Old Mint Street scandal, and which has been illegally developed over several years. The site was part of the €1.65 million in cash and land the government paid Mr Gaffarena in exchange for a half-share of a property in Old Mint Street, Valletta, in 2015. The transfer led to the resignation of then parliamentary secretary Michael Falzon and is now the subject of a court case filed by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat seeking its revocation. Mr Gaffarena nevertheless applied in March 2017 to sanction a “bird park including small single storey structures” on the Tal-Ħandaq site, and the application has since grown to a proposal for an extensive agritourism project including accommodation, stables, an equestrian track and a bird sanctuary. The 6,000 square metre site in the limits of Qormi is not covered by any planning permission but is already occupied by a large swimming pool and restaurant, which was used as an entertainment venue for years despite a pending enforcement notice dating back to 2012. The existing structures are proposed for sanctioning under the new application, which...