Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1137604
12 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 30 JUNE 2019 NEWS JAMES DEBONO THE St George's Bay restau- rant Paranga is seeking a per- mit to rise five metres above the public promenade, remov- ing the pavement's continu- ous railings and lighting poles. The seaside restaurant wants its structure to rise five metres above the Dragonara road, to accommodate a 170sq.m res- taurant and ice-cream par- lour. Works started last year but were stopped by the Planning Authority's enforcement unit. The latest application now seeks to sanction these works. The restaurant belongs to the Eden Leisure Group, whose businesses include the Eden cinema complex as well as the Intercontinental Hotel on St George's Road. While the Lands Authority has issued its consent for the works, the Planning Author- ity's planning directorate is calling on the PA board to reject the project due to the "unacceptable visual impact on the views from the public road and promenade towards the sea". Indeed, the works would be in breach of a local plan policy that requires that views onto the sea across the site are not obstructed. Eden Leisure Group, that also enjoy an adjacent beach concession, are arguing that the proposed structure will consist of glass railings and apertures "which shall of- fer more transparency" than heavy metal railings, "thus not obstructing the view onto the sea across the site." Residents objecting to the development have noted that approval of this project would mean that the continuity of the existing promenade will be interrupted. A final decision will be taken by the Planning Board on 11 July. Paranga platform will rise 5m above Dragonara Road, in breach of local plan Illegal works which commenced last year have already blocked the sea view Residents object to obstruction of St George's Bay views Lija garden threatened by development, left unprotected A massive private garden in- side Lija's urban conservation area, is being earmarked for the construction of a 10-apart- ment block and car-park. Bugeja & Desira Ltd, a com- pany owned by Darren De- sira and the Bilom group's Mi- chael Bugeja, want to turn the 800sq.m garden between Triq id-Dejqa and Triq il-Forn into a block of ten apartments on two levels, over four underly- ing parking levels for 49 ga- rages. The garden's boundary wall and an existing store will be demolished, retaining only the façade of the store. The project is in clear breach of local plan policies protecting internal gardens in the three villages of Lija, Attard and Balzan. Curiously, while the local plan includes a general pre- sumption against the devel- opment of private gardens in Lija's Urban Conservation Area, a policy map identifies this particular garden for resi- dential development. All other gardens in its vicinity are des- ignated as green areas. The local plan calls for the conservation and protection of Lija's private gardens located within the UCA. The preser- vation of these gardens is de- scribed "as being fundamental to the traditional characteris- tics of the Three Villages" and such gardens are considered as "the most important feature alongside the winding streets and vernacular architecture that give Lija its identity". Bugeja & Desira Ltd do not own the site but declare that they were given the owners' consent to present the applica- tion.