Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1515420
JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt 10 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 4 FEBRUARY 2024 NEWS A five-storey high block consisting of a shop and 20 apartments has been ap- proved in Paola's village core some 265m downhill from the Corradino Correctional Facility. The proposed apartments are being pro- posed on a 335sq.m corner site between Triq Brittanja and Triq Valletta, partly lo- cated in the urban conservation area. The Poala local council had objected to the increased density of the project which comes as a result of the decision to zone a substantial part of Paola as a Student Pri- ority Area where the number of one-bed- roomed apartments is not capped as is the case in the rest of Malta where one-bed- room apartments are limited to 20%. The development is being proposed by Silvan Mizzi, a business partner of con- struction mogul Joseph Portelli in a com- pany called Trivium Projects. The development was approved despite the concerns of the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage that the development would result in "high volumes bearing directly" on the UCA and the creation of blank party walls along both streets which are still characterised by two storey build- ings. The SCH had described the existing building as an "elegant" one with "signif- icant cultural heritage value" due to its thick-walled facade, formal entrance hall- way, several beamed ceilings and stone staircase. The SCH's concerns on the internal demolition of the building and the loss of historic fabric and traditional building techniques was partly addressed by the Planning Commission which has imposed several conditions including the careful dismantling of a traditional staircase and entrance hall which are to be re-erected within the project itself. A €10,000 bank guarantee was also imposed to ensure the retention of the existing façades of the building and the careful dismantling of the entrance hall and its re-erection. The present building consists of a two-storey townhouse and lies in an area where the local plan sets a height limita- tion of three floors and a semi basement, which according to a policy approved in 2015 translates to a height of 17.5m. The case officer recommended the de- velopment noting that the original façade is being retained and that the third floor is being setback from the UCA part of the site by 3m thus resulting in an ad- equate transitional design between the Urban Conservation Area and the new building. But the local council had also objected to the intensification of use, which the lo- cality "cannot sustain" blaming this on the designation of a "vast area of Paola" as a Student Priority Area. The Development Control Design Policy approved in 2015 designated properties located in a 350m radius around the en- tire external perimeter of the University of Malta, the Junior College, the Mater Dei hospital, the Gozo general hospital and the MCAST campuses in Paola and Naxxar as Student Priority areas. The council was not consulted before this policy was intro- duced. While in all other areas in Malta and Gozo the number of one-bedroomed apartments is capped at 20% of the total number of apartments which can be ap- proved in any project, no such capping applies to projects proposed in Student Priority Areas. The council had warned the zoning of a substantial part of the locality for students' housing will increase pressure to demolish existing houses for redevelopment of stu- dio apartments and will result in excess strain on the infrastructure of the town. Five-storey block approved in Paola's village core Birkirkara's Ghar il-Gobon windmill could get its sails back A private developer is propos- ing the rehabilitation and res- toration of the Għar il-Ġobon windmill in Birkirkara, which is a listed Grade 1 building. The application proposes the recreation of the mill's sails and restoration of the façade as well as a restaurant extension instead of the mod- ern accretions to the wind- mill, and underlying commer- cial development. The application was submit- ted by Michael Xuereb, who declared owning the entire site. The windmill was built in the late 17th century dur- ing the rule of Grand Master Gregorio Carafa. It remained in use until the 1930s. Subse- quently its sails were removed and the building was convert- ed into a house. The windmill in a corner site between Triq il-Vitorja ,Triq Tumas Fenech and the Triq Dun Karm bypass. The application foresees the removal of the surrounding, relatively modern structures and accretions on the side of the windmill, and their re- placement with a two-storey glass extension which will house the proposed restau- rant. It also foresees the excava- tion of the site to make way for underground sport facil- ities and a childcare centre. An overlying public garden is being proposed at ground floor level. No excavations are being proposed directly under the windmill. The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage is com- mending the proposed "resto- ration and valorisation" of the scheduled Grade 1 windmill. But it asked the architect to present an excavation method statement to ensure the sta- bility of the windmill during excavation works. The SCH also wants a resto- ration method statement to cover both internal and exter- nal restoration works to the proposed windmill has . The SCH proposed that a room, ideally located at the entrance of the windmill, is dedicated for an interpreta- tion centre documenting the history of the windmill. Ideally this space should be at the entrance of the wind- mill. JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt The windmill was built in the late 17th century during the rule of Grand Master Gregorio Carafa