Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1152248
6 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 7 AUGUST 2019 NEWS JAMES DEBONO IN a sign that tourism is sprawl- ing from tourist centres to resi- dential areas, the Planning Au- thority is increasingly faced with applications to develop guest houses in residential areas, in some cases exceeding the pre- vailing heights of characteristic neighbourhoods. Four new floors are being pro- posed on a townhouse forming part of a characteristic row of two-storey buildings in Amery Street which forms part of Slie- ma's urban conservation area. The proposed 28 room guest- house is being proposed by Mi- chael Cassar Torregiani who owns the building. The proposal includes the par- tial demolition of the existing building whilst retaining the fa- cade. The development will include a basement level and the con- struction of three new levels and a receded floor. A dining area is being proposed as an amenity to the proposed guesthouse. As proposed the new guest house will rise higher than any of the neighbouring buildings as confirmed by a streetscape analysis presented by the devel- oper's architect. This application is still in its initial stages. A decision on a proposal to add two floors on a similar townhouse located opposite the proposed guest house is expect- ed on 30 August. The case officer is recom- mending the refusal of this ap- plication after noting that the additional height does not re- spect the context characterised by two-storey high buildings. Three additional storeys pro- posed on B'Kara townhouses A 30-room guest house which will include three new floors is being proposed in an area occu- pied by two townhouses locat- ed in the corner between Triq Mannarino and Triq il-Qalb Imqaddsa. Although left outside the lo- cality's designated urban con- servation area the surroundings are characterised by old two storey buildings. An extra two floors, one of which receded, can be allowed due to local plan policies. In this application the three new floors are fitted within the allowable metric height. Despite the re- laxation of building heights in 2006 so far the area has retained its characteristic heights. The application as proposed by Jarom Investments Ltd en- visages the internal demolition of two existing town houses and an existing shop, retaining the facades, and the construction of basement stores and kitchen, a ground floor restaurant and an overlying guesthouse build over five levels, one of which reced- ed. Two extra floors in San Lawrenz Even in the tiny village of San Lawrenz a guesthouse buily over four levels one of which receded, is being proposed in- stead of an existing garage in Triq ta' Cangura in the vicinity of the parish church. The development which will also be higher than most sur- rounding developments, will cater for nine rooms. A restau- rant is also being proposed at roof level. 'Guesthouses' sprawling to residential areas in B'Kara, Sliema and Gozo Six-storey guesthouse in Sliema's Amery Street, five-storey and four-storey guesthouses in Birkirkara and San Lawrenz The three sites in Amery Street, Sliema (top), Mannarino Road, Birkirkara (above) and (left) San Lawrenz, Gozo