Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1118959
NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 19 MAY 2019 Waterpolo pitch and lido proposed on St Julian's coastline JAMES DEBONO THE San Giljan Aquatic Sports Club has presented an applica- tion for the development of a new lido, swimming pool and waterpolo pitch, which will considerably alter the Balluta coastline in St Julian's. A lido and restaurant already exist on the site of the club- house, which houses the Salt & Pepper restaurant and Haze café. Plans presented by the 70-year old club show the pool and deck area and the waterpo- lo pitch protruding beyond the existing coastline, even if a site plan presented in the same appli- cation misleadingly indicates that the development will be contained in the existing lido. The application refers to alterations and the construc- tion of a waterpolo swimming pool, deck area, changing rooms, toilets, show- ers, committee meeting room and ancillary facilities. In 2015, the Planning Au- thority approved an applica- tion from the club to regu- larise alterations, tables and chairs, lido, and lounge areas at deck level. It also approved a fully retractable canvas canopy around an existing kiosk at promenade level. In its 2017 election pro- gramme, the Labour Party had pledged to enter into discus- sions with the San Giljan club to consider the possibility of constructing a pool. San Giljan is one of the two top waterpolo clubs still without its own pool.Recent- ly the St Julian's local council reiterated its support for the development of a waterpolo pitch. Superintendence shoots down proposed Msida 10-storey hotel JAMES DEBONO THE demolition of two 19th century townhouses located behind the Wembley kiosk in Msida to make way for a 10-sto- rey-high bed and breakfast was described "excessive and unac- ceptable" by the Superintend- ence for Cultural Heritage. The two buildings earmarked for demolition date back to the second half of the 19th century. While the original plans fore- saw the complete demolition of the old buildings, the latest plans envision the partial pres- ervation of one of the façades. But the Superintendence is in- sisting that "both façades have a degree of historical and archi- tectural value in relation with the existing context and they have to be preserved and inte- grated into the proposal." The façade of the building on the left also included two niches at the level of the opramorta, housing statues of St Roque and St Publius which were removed from the site in unauthorised works denounced by the Super- intendence last year. The niches and the statues have cultural heritage value and are listed on the National Inven- tory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands, published in 2018. The Superintendence had expressed "grave concerns" on the unauthorised works which resulted in the removal of the niches and statues. In the latest communication issued on 10 May the Super- intendence reiterated its con- cern over the disappearance of the statues noting that it is still awaiting "clarification" on the current state of the statues. The cultural heritage author- ity also expressed concern on the proposed increase in height, as this will create "a new pre- dominant volume massively im- pacting the surroundings from numerous points of view, in particular from Triq D'Argens and Msida's urban conservation area. The hotel proposed by J&J Holdings will include a park- ing at basement level, a bar and lobby at ground level, a break- fast area and kitchen on the first floor and 107 rooms construct- ed on the overlying eight floors. A restaurant and a pool are en- visaged on the tenth floor. In October 2018 the Malta Tourism Authority described the project as an "upgrade to the product" and noted the ap- plicant's commitment to adopt environmentally-friendly meas- ures.