Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1517369
6 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 13 MARCH 2024 NEWS JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt KURT SANSONE ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt FORMER minister Aaron Far- rugia was approved as Malta's ambassador to the International Maritime Organisation on the back of government's majority in parliament's Public Appointments Committee. In a short parliamentary grilling on low heat, the Opposition MPs on the committee voted against Farrugia's nomination on the basis that he will remain a member of parliament. Farrugia was the only minister to lose his portfolio in January's Cab- inet reshuffle, having previously held the transport ministry. How- ever, he was immediately nomi- nated by the government to act as Malta's non-resident permanent representative to the IMO. Nationalist Party MP Karol Aq- uilina noted that the Standards Commissioner had criticised the system whereby government MPs are given jobs with the executive and called for this to change. Aquilina asked Farrugia whether he saw any conflict between his role as a backbench MP and am- bassador, representing the gov- ernment's interests. Farrugia insisted that the recom- mendation made by the Standards Commissioner had to be viewed within a wider context where MPs are given the possibility to be full-timers. "If parliament remains a part- time job one cannot preclude MPs from taking up other jobs," Farru- gia said. He added: "I am seeing nothing wrong with me taking up the IMO position while retaining my parlia- mentary seat. If I need to criticise the Opposition and government in parliament, I have no problem continuing to do so, like I have al- ways done in a constructive way." PN MP Adrian Delia said the Opposition had no doubt on Far- rugia's ability to represent Malta well at the IMO but had a prob- lem with the dual roles he will be occupying. Aaron Farrugia's appointment as ambassador to IMO approved by parliamentary committee Aaron Farrugia lost his Cabinet post in January but was then nominated as Malta's permanent representative to IMO Seven-storey old people's home proposed in Zabbar square A seven-storey high old peo- ple's home is being proposed in Misrah tal-Madonna Medjatri- ci in Zabbar less then 60m away from the parish church. The residential home is being proposed instead of a property dating back to the 1950s facing the Urban Conservation Area of Żabbar, within a prominent location in a square char- acterised by predominantly three-storey buildings of a tra- ditional and architectural value. The existing building whose façade will be retained, dates back to the 1950s and it is rem- iniscent of its time. The adja- cent dwelling to the right of the property in question evokes similar architectural elements. The site had already been ear- marked for the development of a restaurant at ground floor level and four overlying levels of apartments while retaining the facade. The Superintendence for Cul- tural Heritage had expressed concern about the proposed height and had insisted the de- velopment should be limited to three floors so as to preserve the traditional character of the area. The development was still ap- proved in 2020 but subsequent- ly the permit was withdrawn by the Planning Authority, follow- ing a failure by the developers to comply with permit condi- tions. The new application present- ed by developer Daniel Zahra foresees the demolition of the existing dwelling retaining its facade and the construction of a retirement home facility with 37 rooms, a basement carpark, morgue, two multi-purpose halls and a landscaped outdoor area at ground floor level. A planning policy approved in 2017 allows developers to propose two extra floors over and above the height limitation established in the local plan when presenting applications involving residential health fa- cilities. The policy was aimed at addressing "the overall lack of available bedspaces". In this case the local plan al- lows a height of three floors and a semi basement which is translated to a height of 17.5m in current policies in which de- velopers can fit five floors. But the policy also states that these extra storeys should only be allowed if the resultant de- sign is in keeping with the ur- ban context and no blank walls are created. Above left and left: A building in a square only 60m from the Zabbar Parish Church may make way for a seven-floor old people's home (above)