Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1491702
12 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 5 FEBRUARY 2023 True. Athletic. Grit. ELITE, on MaltaToday Facebook, Mondays 5pm JAMES DEBONO THE Marsaxlokk football club wants to develop an old people's home, along with a hostel, next to an upgraded football pitch, all located outside development zone in an area that is presently used as a garden and a car park. But while a Planning Author- ity case officer report has rec- ommended approval, the re- port makes no reference to any feedback from the Social Care Standards Authority (SCSA), which is normally consulted on applications for old people's home. The Planning Authority which is currently reviewing the case officer report has not answered when asked when exactly the SCSA was consulted and why its feedback was not included in the case officer report recom- mending approval. And when contacted by MaltaToday, a spokesperson for the SCSA sim- ply replied that "the Social Care Standards Authority is in con- tact with the Planning Author- ity regarding this application". The SCSA's performance indi- cators oblige service providers to "promote a reduced noise environment within both com- munal and private areas" of old people's homes while stip- ulating that the design of such buildings should promote a "calm experience" with indoor lighting that should be "domes- tic" in character. "You can imagine the light pollution from flood-lights and the noise from the game itself and from supporters," one res- ident objecting to the develop- ment told MaltaToday. But the Social Care Standards Authority would not be drawn into commenting on wheth- er the application conforms to these indicators limiting itself to saying that it is in commu- nicating directly with the Plan- ning Authority on the merits of this application. The old people's home will be situated across the road from a boatyard where maintenance work, including painting and spraying, is performed on large fishing boats. And it will also have windows overlooking the revamped Marsaxlokk football ground. The planning application by Marsaxlokk FC seeks to turn the site of 13,225 square metres, which is outside the develop- ment zone, into a 188-bed hos- tel and 255-room old people's home. Photomontages indicate that the complex will be an ur- ban sprawl of a building and will include a childcare centre, a so- cial club, food and drink estab- lishments and a physiotherapy clinic. The case officer report cur- rently under review conclud- ed that the proposed facilities on the site are an "acceptable improvement" to the current situation so the PA's planning directorate is recommending it for approval. The Planning Au- thority Board was scheduled to discuss the application in De- cember following the favorable recommendation of the case officer. But the item was re- moved from the board's agenda because the recommendation by the case officer is currently being reviewed. The feedback of the SCSA could therefore be included in a revised case officer report which should be published before a final deci- sion is taken. No consultation as yet over Marsaxlokk football club's home for the elderly Case officer recommending approval of football club's sports hostel and elderly home project did not include feedback from Social Care Standards Authority which advises "reduced noise environment" in old people's homes