Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1388399
7 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 30 JUNE 2021 NEWS Naxxar quarry earmarked for five seven-storey blocks JAMES DEBONO THE developer Charles Camilleri is pro- posing the construction of five residential blocks rising to seven storeys, in a residen- tial area of Naxxar on the site of a spent quarry. The 278-unit apartment block is ear- marked for the former quarry bordered by the Censu Muscat, Manwel Magri and Ħawħ streets. The apartment blocks will rise seven floors above street level, comprising two re- ceded upper floors. Three basement levels will accommodate 346 garages and another 114 parking spaces. The 'medium-rise' development is based on the application of the Floor Area Ratio mechanism through which developments can rise above a town's height limitations if a substantial part of the site is retained as an open public space. In this case, a public square is being pro- posed at the eastern edge of the site. The quarry had ceased operations in the late 1970s and has been abandoned for the past 35 years. The proposed development will be contained entirely within the foot- print of the disused quarry. An outline permit issued in 2008 had al- ready set parameters for the development, with building heights set to seven floors. The current application involves an addi- tional 3,844sq.m above ground and a more considerable increase in development be- low ground level, with the proposed con- struction of three basement levels. The Environment and Resources Au- thority exempted the project from the ob- ligation to conduct an Environment Impact Assessment and is not objecting to the de- velopment, especially in view of the urban context in which it is located. The ERA called for the inclusion of elec- tric vehicle (EV) charging bays and a dim- ming of lights after 11pm, when activity in the pedestrian areas is heavily reduced. The ERA also called for more studies related to air quality and noise. The Superintendence for Cultural Herit- age has been more wary, warning that the project may dominate important views and vistas and lamented the lack of consultation with the SCH in the past, describing the ap- plication a "longstanding case on which the Superintendence has not previously been consulted". The Superintendence also called for up- dated photomontages to reflect the latest changes to plans. The developer claims in his project state- ment that he will ensure a high standard of residential infrastructure "to meet the needs and objectives of the current economic model which the country is adopting". If approved it is expected that the con- struction phase will take four to five years to be concluded. The excavation works are expected to generate 26,000 cubic metres of inert material. Development of 278 units over five seven-storey blocks in a residential area of Naxxar JAMES DEBONO THE owner of a plot in the pris- tine Fomm ir-Riħ wants a permit for a 15sq.m agricultural store and basement, a year after ob- taining a permit for a gate and a boundary wall to enclose his property. The PA's advisory panel on agriculture has asked him to justify the store in such a re- mote area when the majority of his holding is located in anoth- er area. The application also foresees a 43sq.m reservoir. If approved, the store will al- so enjoy breathtaking views of the western coast of Malta. But the area itself forms part of the Natura 2000 network of pro- tected sites, which is scheduled as an Area of Ecological Impor- tance and Area of Archaeologi- cal Importance. In October 2020, the PA had approved the reinstatement of a rubble wall and a 4.5m gate to enclose the site even though a case officer originally recom- mended a refusal, warning that new walls fragment existing open land into multiple, small- er parcels. In 2019 the PA had already refused a permit for a 35sq.m store, with rubble wall and gate for the site. On that occasion the Superin- tendence for Cultural Heritage had objected to the basement, warning that ground distur- bance should not be allowed in the archeologically sensitive area. The PA's agricultural adviso- ry committee also noted that only 15% of the holding was registered arable land and Fomm ir-Rih 'store with a view' wants permit