Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1491408
8 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 1 FEBRUARY 2023 PM's application to rebuild ODZ villa set for approval JAMES DEBONO THE Prime Minister's application to re- place an existing one-storey villa outside the development boundaries in Żejtun for his brand new two-storey villa, is heading for approval after a case officer concluded the plans were in line with the Planning Au- thority's rural policy. The policy allows the replacement of ex- isting structures only if the existing floor area is not exceeded and the original build- ing had a permit. Robert and Lydia Abela bought the villa in July 2017 from an elderly couple, days after the PA had sanctioned multiple illegalities on the site. The Abelas bought the sprawling villa Ċinja at an os- tensible bargain at €600,000, with the illegal extensions that were green-lit by the plan- ning regulator in 2017 doubling the size of the farmhouse to 354sq.m. A final decision on the new plans will be taken by the PA's planning commission on 15 February. The existing building includes a number of scattered structures such as a garage, stores and animal enclosures (91 sq.m) lo- cated in different parts of the site, which will all be demolished. The new proposal concentrates the villa on a 237sq.m footprint with an overlying storey, bringing total floor area to 445sq.m but contained over the smaller footprint. A new basement does not get to be in- cluded in the calculation of the replacement building's total floor area according to PA rules. Solar panels are also expected to be installed on the villa roof. The Environment and Resources Author- ity (ERA) found no objection to the pro- posal from an environmental point while the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage (SCH) did not object, subject to archeo- logical monitoring during the works which include the excavation of the basement and a pool. The ODZ site is at Triq Xrobb l-Għaġin in Żejtun in a buffer zone to the Class A Site of Archaeological Importance of Ħal-Ġinwim which includes the remains of a prehistoric structure consisting of a few ashlar blocks, found in the beginning of the 20th century in the vicinity of the San Niklaw chapel. Illegal works carried out before 1994 The PM's latest application was facilitat- ed by the 2017 permit issued to the previ- ous owner which sanctioned unauthorised works on the villa carried out before 1994. The illegal extensions had doubled the size of the farmhouse to 352sq.m, when such ODZ (outside development zone) buildings could only be extended up to a maximum 200sq.m floor area. The PA's case officer, who recommended approval, recognised that the scale of the additions was the main issue with regular- isation, given that the total floor area of the existing building exceeded the 200sq.m al- lowance. But the case officer justified approval, on the basis of a Rural Policy clause allowing extensions carried out before October 1994 to be regularised "if the extension does not visually dominate the existing dwelling" and if these are considered "acceptable in the wider landscape". Moreover, the case officer also referred to "steel sheds" on an area of 440sq.m which were removed between 1994 and 1998, arguing their removal over 20 years ago to make way for landscaping, made the sanc- tioning of the other illegally-built structures "acceptable". As often happens in similar cases involving ODZ dwellings, the favour- able recommendation was based on an in- terpretation of conflicting policies by the case officer. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Case officer concludes that proposal represents "improvement" over present situation as it consolidates development over smaller footprint Proposed street scape Art Nouveau townhouse to be integrated in 7-storey block JAMES DEBONO VILLINO Micallef, a two-sto- rey Art Nouveau townhouse on Triq l-Imsida is Gzira, may get a much-needed restora- tion for a five-storey extension built over the existing façade. Located in what was until a few years ago Gżira's red-light district, the building has been abandoned since the mid- 1990s when the previous own- ers died. Now considered a fine ex- ample of Art Nouveau archi- tecture in Malta with – the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage says – "evident ar- chitectural and cultural herit- age value", developer Michael Bugeja of the Bilom Group will add five contemporary storeys on top of the existing façade, demolish two buildings on Triq Testaferrata, to make way for a commercial development of seven storeys. The Superintendence wel- comed the developers' inten- tion to retain the façade and reinstate the entrance hall and staircase within the new struc- ture. Moreover, the additional height of the project is being accepted in view of other com- mitments on Triq Testaferra- ta. But the watchdog is calling for a better architectural treat- ment for the additional floors overlying Villino Micallef, which should complement the existing building. The new development will include 36 parking spaces in two basement levels, a retail outlet on ground floor and of- fices in the six overlying levels. The new commercial develop- ment will be connected to an adjacent seven-storey office block owned by Bugeja.