The PA had
already approved
a 6-storey
apartment block
incorporating façade
of townhouses in a
decision taken in
October
7
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 2 MAY 2021
NEWS
Townhouses
in St Paul's
Bay face total
demolition
JAMES DEBONO
THE Superintendence for Cul-
tural Heritage has expressed
its "grave
concern" at
the proposed
total demoli-
tion of a row
of old town-
houses in the
vicinity of the
Għajn Razul
fountain in St
Paul's Bay, in
an application
presented by
Ray Camill-
eri's Camray
Limited.
The town-
houses are
built in a similar style and de-
sign, with one of them also fea-
turing a niche.
In October 2020, the devel-
opers were issued a permit for
the redevelopment of the site
to accommodate a shop and 16
apartments on six floors. While
the permit foresaw the internal
demolition of the townhouses
and the excavation of a parking
level, the façades of the town-
houses was to be retained.
The Superintendence claims
the PA had failed to address
its concerns on the proposed
basement due to its possible
impact on the façade, when
this application was approved.
Now that the
d e v e l o p e r s
have applied
to demolish
the façade en-
tirely, the Su-
perintendence
is insisting on
the integra-
tion of the ex-
iting façades
and the niche,
which are of
a r c h i t e c t u r a l
and cultural
heritage value.
Moreover the
proposed exca-
vation for a basement is to be
accompanied by an adequate
buffer zone to ensure the safe-
guard of the existing façades.
