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maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 24 JANUARY 2024
NEWS
JAMES
DEBONO
jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt
CHARLES Polidano's archi-
tects have presented photo-
montages depicting a row of
five storey residential blocks
along Triq ix-Xghajra on land
added to the development
zone in 2006.
The urban spawl in this
semi-rural part of Zabbar
presently characterised by tra-
ditional two storey farmhouses
is only somewhat mitigated by
the proposed use of traditional
balconies and vernacular fea-
tures in the new buildings.
The proposed development is
spread on 3,853sq.m. of land.
The zoning application set-
ting planning parameters for
development on the site along
Triq ix-Xghajra and Triq Ag-
atha Barbara was presented in
2019 and is still being assessed.
The site includes a vernacu-
lar building constructed over
two floors and connected to
an adjacent townhouse located
outside of the site, through an
arch that crosses an alleyway
separating the two buildings.
The latest photomontages
foresee the retention of the
vernacular building which
will be preserved alongside
the neighbouring alley way as
recommended by the Superin-
tendence of Cultural Heritage.
The development which in-
cludes the use of traditional
Maltese balconies, is also ter-
raced from three floors in the
area currently fronting the ru-
ral alley to five floors with the
top two receded.
But the development will
change the rural character of
this part of Zabbar by intro-
ducing a row of densely built
residential units on a site
characterised by a large rub-
ble wall and prickly pear trees.
The impact on the side facing
the ODZ countryside is partly
mitigated by a green wall.
The site had previously been
considered for a Lidl super-
market development in 2006,
extending further into the
Outside Development Zone
(ODZ). However, the applica-
tion was ultimately withdrawn
following a recommendation
for refusal by the case officer.
Caqnu's Zabbar project gets traditional touch in new plans
Photomontage showing the impact of the proposed development
