The developer behind the controversial wellness centre in Bidnija is pressing ahead with the project despite hundreds of objections from residents and mounting public opposition.

Fresh plans submitted to the Planning Authority indicate that no substantial changes have been made to the proposal to turn a disused pig farm into a cluster of bungalows aimed at wellness tourism.

The project consists of 11 bungalows comprising 28 units with 30 bedrooms, together with ancillary facilities including parking, pool, and intensive landscaping.

The initial plans were submitted in January, with revised drawings made available on the PA website the following month, and most recently on 13th July, a few days after the end of the 30-day period for the public to make their representations.

However, they only appear to provide a more granular level of detail, with little to no actual changes to the proposal.

Plans showing the plans for the ground floor of the development. L-R: February plans, July plans.

The revised plans do not appear to address the main concerns raised by a significant number of objectors, which centre on the project's scale, its commercial nature, and the impact such a development could have on the character of the rural hamlet.

The scale of the opposition is striking for a hamlet with a population of just over 300 residents, with the Planning Authority receiving hundreds of objections to the proposal.

With Bidnija home to just over 300 residents, the hundreds of objections submitted to the Planning Authority point to an unusually high level of opposition to the project.

Some residents drew attention to the traffic that will be introduced to the characteristically quiet countryside roads of Bidnija.

One of the roads leading to the proposed bungalow complex

The proposal has also drawn the attention of NGOs like Moviment Graffitti and Nature Trust – FEE Malta, which are arguing that the development is incompatible with the environmental sensitivity and rural character of Bidnija.

The current proposal (PA/03678/26 ) is the third attempt by Francis Gauci to transform the farm into a tourist complex. Previous attempts in 1994 and 2004 were, respectively, rejected by the PA and abandoned by the developer.

The new attempt, however, is the first being made since controversial changes to Outside Development Zone (ODZ) rules in rural areas were introduced in 2014.

The changes allow for the redevelopment of derelict buildings not considered worthy of conservation, with no limit on the scale of touristic developments.