‘Outrageous’ Bidnija ‘sheep farm’ allocated €150,000 in EU funding

An enormous, modern building in the middle of a pristine valley in Bidnija that the Planning Authority had originally permitted as a sheep farm against a tirade of objections has been allocated €150,000 in European Union funding by the Maltese authorities.

The original proprietor of the supposed sheep farm, Jason Vella from Mgarr, is, however, appearing nowhere in the new development as it has already been taken over by a company owned by the building’s architect Konrad Bezzina.

The agriculture ministry approved the massive financial subvention and covered 75 per cent of the costs of the project, which is earmarked to “set up a goat and sheep farm – keeping Maltese tradition alive”.

Approved in 2019 by the PA’s ODZ development commission, headed by the notorious Elizabeth Ellul, the permit has been seen as grossly abusive since day one. Speculation, in fact, is rife that the ‘farm’ was merely a disguise and a cover for the construction of a new luxurious farmhouse.

Plans submitted at the time clearly indicated the twisting of PA rules and the use of loopholes since the designs Bezzina had submitted gave the immediate impression of a residential villa rather than a place to breed sheep.

Less than three years later, and without a single sheep setting hoof on the farm, the new building is nearing completion and is completely marring the landscape of the practically untouched Wied tal-Hzejjen.

The site is somehow now owned by a commercial entity named Bidnija Farming Enterprise Ltd, which is fully owned by Bezzina, the architect responsible for the project.

In the meantime, through a new application submitted just a few weeks ago, this time fronted by Notary Peter Bernard Carbonaro, who is a director of Bidnija Farming Enterprise Ltd along with Bezzina, the company has now applied to develop the building into a ‘farmer’s residence’ with some guestrooms and a breakfast room on the intermediate level, in a clear attempt to offer ‘guest accommodation’ in a rural setting and with unobstructed views of beautiful scenery.

As expected, the application’s ‘farming’ element remained intact so as to continue to make use of the PA’s rural policy, which allows such loopholes to be fully abused.

Farmers who till land in the area told The Shift that the ‘residential’ part of the building, which Bezzina is now attempting to have PA approve, is already being used for weekend getaways by the architect and his family.

A barbeque and dining area can also be seen clearly from outside the property.

It is not yet known whether an investigation has been initiated by the EU’s agricultural and rural development paying agency, the payments of which are controlled locally by the Maltese authorities, over the potential abuse of EU funds vis-à-vis the project and its end use.

An investigation could also trigger another probe by the EU’s anti-fraud office, OLAF.

In the meantime, the PA is currently evaluating whether to give Bezzina another green light. This latest application has already seen substantial objections, with many objectors taking the PA to task for having allowed the architect to so “blatantly” circumvent the laws.

Some objectors even sent the PA sarcastic pictures of a pig roast, suggesting the PA and Elizabeth Elllul as the main culprits behind the latest “environmental tragedy”.