Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1498713
NEWS 16 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 7 MAY 2023 JAMES DEBONO THE Planning Authority is rec- ommending the renewal of a controversial permit originally approved in 2012, to develop a 6,200sq.m green area in Kalka- ra into an apartment complex. The PA's development man- agement directorate said to green-light the renewal of the permit request for the 88-apart- ment block, with 93 garages. The site is characterised by old carob, pomegranate trees and rubble walls overlooking the harbour, just a short distance from the Kalkara church. A final decision will be taken by the Planning Commission on 10 May. A group of 22 residents, rep- resented by architect William Lewis, had called on the PA to refuse the renewal of the appli- cation proposed by Lawrence Fino's Portokal Limited. One of the main concerns ex- pressed by Lewis is "the poor geological strata of the area" which is characterised by the presence of caves and wells. In an objection filed last month Lewis warned about the "risk" of "severe movement" during excavation works, which these "can create structural problems to the surrounding buildings as well as to the nearby bastions". The PA's case officer ad- dressed this concern by re- ferring to a Construction Management Plan filed by the developer, which includes a requirement that third party properties are to be surveyed before commencement of works on site. The Construction Manage- ment Plan also refers to the setting up of a committee com- posed of representatives of the developers, the Kalkara Local Council and the Planning Au- thority to monitor the works. Monthly reports endorsed by all three entities will be issued. It is estimated that 60,000 cubic metres of construction waste will be excavated from the site and transported to a quarry in Naxxar. The re-use of some of this material will depend on the quality of the material. Photomontages of the pro- posed development show a ter- raced design with landscaping at different levels. The PA case officer deemed the project to blend well with the skyline of the urban conservation area. It also referred to the clearance for the development by the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage, which concluded that Grand Harbour views will not be negatively impacted by the development. The area has been zoned for residential development since 1962 and is in line with the local plan, a zoning applica- tion approved in 2009, and a development permit issued in 2012 which was renewed in 2018. Residents contend that the project can still be turned down on the basis of policies protecting the environment and townscapes included in the Strategic Plan for the En- vironment and Development (SPED), which came after the permit was issued. Kalkara permit residents fear, set to be renewed The PA case officer deemed the project to blend well with the skyline of the urban conservation area