Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1497950
JAMES DEBONO A proposed six-floor extension to the iconic Brittania Flats in Sliema has been sent back to the drawing board by the Planning Commission. The commission gave the applicant, Fafner Investments Ltd, six more months to sub- mit new plans and address the reasons for refusal identified in the case officer report. Britannia Flats, a residential block of four storeys fronting Tower Road, Amery Street and the narrow Trejqet Luzju was built in the early 20th century and is one of the few standalone buildings which have been un- touched by the development frenzy that led to the destruc- tion of most townhouses over- looking the Sliema front. In a meeting held last week commission chairman Stepha- nia Baldacchino expressed reservations on the proposed design, noting that it could better complement the existing façade, by replicating tradi- tional features. The applicant is proposing the construction of 10 apart- ments over the existing build- ing on Triq it-Torri, joining the two with an internal lift in the existing stairwell. The apartments will be spread on an additional five storeys and a penthouse level. The case officer is recom- mending the refusal of the out- line application for health and sanitary reasons, due to the height of the building when compared to the narrow alley. Residents objecting to the de- velopment have raised privacy issues regarding the proposed apertures overlooking Trejqet Luzju as these do not respect the distance required by sani- tary regulations. This was also one of the reasons cited by the case officer for refusal. During the meeting it also emerged that the company is not the full owner of the site but has signed a promise of sale agreement with the owners. The Planning Commission has now asked them to submit clear documentation that they have the consent of the owners. A boatyard is being proposed on farmland along the original road linking Żejtun to Marsaxlokk, where the Planning Authority recently approved an agricultur- al reservoir and pumproom. The boatyard is proposed on a field measuring 2,000sq.m along Triq Santu Kristu. The area is characterised by a vernacular structure which abuts the field earmarked for the boatyard and faces the Urban Conservation Area of Zejtun. The "temporary boat yard" is being proposed on beaten earth and its use is limited to the stor- age of boats. The Superintendence for Cul- tural Heritage and the Environ- ment and Resources Authority are objecting to the boatyard. The SCH has warned that the proposed boat storage facility would result in a negative visual impact on this relatively pris- tine area, the nearby vernacular buildings and the Urban Conser- vation Area concluding that the proposed development is unac- ceptable from a cultural heritage perspective. On its part ERA considers that the proposed location for the boat storage on an agricultural field is inappropriate warning that this will result in the take- up of rural land and the loss of the rural character of the area. The local plan for the area only allows uses essential to the needs of agriculture and only if it can be demonstrated to the satisfac- tion of PA that they will not ad- versely affect water supplies, soil and landscape. Reporting by James Debono PA postpones decision on six-floor addition to Sliema's Brittania flats NEWS 9 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 26 APRIL 2023 Commission chairman expressed her reservation on the design of the building Boatyard proposed on Zejtun farmland The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage and the Environment and Resources Authority are objecting The site in Zejtun earmarked for development into a boatyard Britannia Flats, a residential block of four storeys, frontsTower Road, Amery Street and the narrow Trejqet Luzju