Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1379276
6 NEWS TOWNSCAPES maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 2 JUNE 2021 Naxxar high-rise will compete with Mosta dome, Superintendence warns Cultural heritage watchdog says it is gravely concerned at 10-storey block on one of Malta's highest points JAMES DEBONO THE Superintendence for Cul- tural Heritage remains gravely concerned at the impact of a 10-storey development in Naxx- ar on the site of the former trade fair car park, warning that any high development on the Naxx- ar ridge will "dominate and rede- fine various views of the island" and visually compete with estab- lished landmarks like the Mosta dome. The Superintendence was re- acting to new plans submitted by site owners San Pawl tat-Tar- ga Investments Limited, after ditching previous plans which the Planning Authority board had sent back to the drawing board last November. The new plans of 1 March consist of two towers, one of eigth floors and another of ten, instead of five interconnected blocks forming one big structure as originally proposed. But in its first reaction to pho- tomontages and plans submitted by the developers, the Superin- tendence described the plans as "inappropriately massive" at this elevated position, warning these will be "conspicuously visible from significant viewpoints such as Mdina, competing even with large-scale significant monu- ments such as the Mosta Dome." While noting that the massing of the development "has been relatively improved" in relation to the previous application, the Superintendence expressed "grave concern in regard to the height and volumes of the pro- posed structures", in view of the close proximity to Naxxar's urban conservation area and the high visibility from vantage points around the island, as ev- idenced by the photomontages presented by the developers. "The proposal will permanently and undeniably reconfigure the visual appearance of the most prominent urban centres of the central-north area, proposing a massive solid block which is not taking into consideration the traditional and established Mal- tese skyline," the Superintend- ence said. It also demanded photomon- tages from other significant viewpoints like Victory square, the roundabout area at t'Alla w t'Ommu, the San Pawl tat-Tar- ga chapel, the Birguma Area and from St Paul's Street, by the for- mer GO plc offices. The latest plans foresee the excavation of three basement levels including 58 garages and 305 parking spaces, a gym and spa with indoor pool, two restu- arants, one bar, a childcare cen- tre, 10 shops and 136 residential units over nine floors. Unlike the previous proposal, the develop- ment does not include a super- market and offices. The developers still make use of the "floor area ratio" mech- anism, through which building heights higher than those en- visaged in the local plan, can be permitted if half the area is re- tained as open space. The details of the new appli- cation, which was presented in March have only been pub- lished in the past days, after the plans were discussed in a Naxxar council meeting last week. The project is directly devel- oped by San Pawl Tat-Targa In- vestments Limited which owns the Ġwejda site. The company have appointed Edwin Mintoff & Associates as its new architect, and is owned by Virtu Properties Limited and Ziz Limited.