Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1335955
9 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 3 FEBRUARY 2021 NEWS JAMES DEBONO THE Xgħajra local council is giving its blessing to a massive 15-storey high rise after having first objected to the develop- ment. The project comprises three gigantic tower blocks rising to 15 storeys on farm- land located just outside the site of Smart City in Xgħajra. The proposed high-rise will overlook the sea on one side and Wied Glavan on the other, and is set to include 14 retail shops, 153 apartments and nine penthouses. The application was presented by Jason Mifsud, a shareholder in the Fanu Mifsud company of Mqabba, as well as Univest Enterprises and Four Site Operation. In a letter to the Planning Authority on behalf of the council, Xgħajra mayor Neil Attard welcomed changes made to the original plans which now include "a spa- cious piazza" accessible from Dawret ix- Xatt. The council claimed that as proposed now, the project will benefit the local community and the general public as it in- cludes a "walk-through leading into a spa- cious public piazza." The council said that it prefers the ap- plication of the floor-area ratio through which building heights are compensated by the creation of a public piazza, than building the entire area with five-storey buildings as allowed in the local plan. It also said the project would result in the upgrade of the small seaside locality "into a high-class residential destination com- plementing the surroundings and Smart City." Although the council claims that it was "never against such a development" as long as it conforms to the FAR policy, the previ- ous council led by Anthony Valvo had sent an objection drafted by an architect firm. One of the main objections was that Xgħa- jra was not one of the localities identified for the development of tall or medium-rise buildings in the FAR policy. In fact, Xgħajra was not among the sites where tall, over 10-storey buildings can be allowed, but the FAR policy can be applied on all sites, which are over 4,000sq.m in Malta, subject to a number of conditions – including being surrounded by roads on all sides. The policy also states that high-rise de- velopments defined as developments high- er than 10-storey developments can only be considered in Tigné, Marsa, Paceville, Qawra, Mriehel and Gzira. But this par- ticular application is proposing 14 storeys, which would effectively result in a high- rise development. The council argued that the site cannot be identified for high-rise because streets on four sides do not surround it as re- quired by policy. Moreover, it pointed out that according to the policy tall buildings should be locat- ed "away from priority residential areas" as these are deemed to be alien to "low-rise compact locations." In 2019 the council warned that the de- velopment will create more infrastructur- al pressures on the locality and will have a negative impact on residents' quality of life. The Superintendence for Cultural Her- itage also expressed concern about the "excessive heights and volumes" of the project. It was a deceptive zoning application ap- proved by the PA in August 2018, that ear- marked the site for application of the FAR mechanism, which allows the 17.5-metre height limitation to be spread over addi- tional floors, in return for the allocation of open piazzas. In 2019, the PA ad received objections from around 100 residents, many of whom said the development would ruin the char- acter of Xgħajra as "a traditional residen- tial location". Residents were unaware that the zoning application approved in 2018 had any- thing to do with high-rise developments, as it simply referred to the removal of a schemed 3m front garden and changes to the road and building alignment. In fact, the application did not even so- licit any objections from residents and any response by the local council. But the aim of the application, as ex- plained in the case officer's report, was to remove the front garden so that this area could also be included in the calculation of the FAR for the site. The FAR is based on the ratio of a build- ing's total floor area (gross floor area) to the size of the piece of land upon which it is built. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Xghajra council makes u-turn on 15-storey high-rise JAMES DEBONO THE Superintendence for Cultural Heritage and the Environment and Resources Authority are objecting to plans by former minister and sitting Labour MP Manuel Mallia, to develop a pool on garigue land at Ta' Cenc. Villa Feigel, where the develop- ment is proposed, forms part of cluster of 11 villas constructed in the 1960s. While the ERA has no major concerns for the extension of the villa within the boundaries of the already developed site, it expressed concern that the application is al- so proposing the construction of a swimming pool, hard landscaping and numerous paths in the unde- veloped area east of the site, which is mainly characterized by garigue. According to the environmental watchdog, the proposed pool and the other proposed interventions run counter to the policy, which precludes the development of pools on sites enjoying the highest level of protection. The area where the new pool is being proposed is scheduled as a Level 1 Area of Eco- logical Importance and Site of Sci- entific Importance. The ERA recommended that the pool be relocated to a more sensi- ble area where no garigue is pres- ent. Moreover the numerous paths being proposed should "be elimi- nated from the proposal". The Superintendence for Cultur- al Heritage also expressed concern about the proposed swimming pool and landscaped areas. "These interventions would lead to the for- malization of the site and further negatively impact the perception of the Maltese cultural landscape. In view of the cultural heritage val- ue of the landscape and the very specific context, the Superintend- ence objects to the formalisation of this area." Labour MP's Ta' Cenc pool gets thumbs-down from watchdogs