Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1403840
7 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 22 AUGUST 2021 NEWS BUONAMICO AWARD 2021 Call for Nomina ons The Environment and Resources Authority is launching a call for nomina ons for the Buonamico Award 2021. This award honours those whose ac ons and achievements benefited our biodiversity and the environment. If you know an individual or en ty deserving of such an award, we kindly ask you to put forward your nomina on for this year's award. For further informa on on the award and how to submit a nomina on call on 2292 3500 or visit era.org.mt Deadline for submission is 5 th September 2021. JAMES DEBONO A proposed high-rise on the site of Ta' Giorni's Palms villa will dominate views from the Sliema promenade at the Exiles beach, towering above other buildings in Balluta Bay and rising higher than the Marriott hotel. Photomontages commissioned by the developer for a visual assessment by Econsulting as- sessed the scale of the high-rise on 11 different views, including strategic views from Valletta. The three towers rise from 12, to 13 and 15 storeys, the latter joining at the fifth to ninth lev- els, with 165 apartments. The project, proposed by landown- er Andrew Borg, comprises 533 parking spaces over three underground levels, a 440sq.m commercial area on the second underground level. Part of the existing main house will be re- tained and restored. The assessment claims the im- pact on views from Sliema's St Julian Tower will be "of minor to moderate significance" and that the towers' upper portion will be visible behind St Julian's urban massing in a "dense urban townscape." The development will also be visible from Victoria Gardens in Ibraġġ. In this coastal view, the upper half of the proposed de- velopment will be visible behind St Julian's urban massing. In its conclusion, the assess- ment claims the visual impact in most case is "barely visible" or will have a minor impact on the landscape. But this opinion was not shared by the Planning Authority's own design advisory panel, which as- sessed the photomontages. The committee, chaired by architect Dr David Mallia, ex- pressed "concern" on the visual impact of the proposal as shown in the visuals. "The committee is of the opinion that consid- erable mitigation measures are required so that it no longer competes with established land- marks." The Environment and Re- sources Authority exempted the project from an environment impact assessment in 2020. While recognising the visual impact of the project, the ERA passed the buck to the PA by concluding that this should be "considered directly through the development consent mech- anism." Even though no permit is re- quired for uprooting, ERA is recommending that a mature orange grove on the site is trans- planted instead of uprooted and destroyed. A staggering 150,000 cubic metres of inert waste will be generated during demolition and excavation works. But ERA claims this waste "is not consid- ered to be significant as long as the waste is managed in accord- ance with the Waste Manage- ment Regulations." No reference is made to the geological impact on the site of the development. The ERA also said airborne dust from demolition and con- struction was not considered to be significant "in view of the temporary nature and short- term duration of the construc- tion phase." Noise and vibrations levels during the demolition, excavation and construction phases are also "likely to have a short-term and temporary im- pact," ERA said. The project will increase the number of average daily car trips by about 549 vehicles, over and above the 22,300 vehicles at Junction 1. Once again ERA claims that "no significant im- pacts are being envisaged during the operational phase in relation to air quality." Ta' Giorni high-rise would tower over Balluta Bay PA advisors want considerable mitigation measures to three- tower project that will compete with existing landmarks The three-tower structure from the Ta' Giorni hill, as seen from the Sliema Tower area