Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1521709
8 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 2 JUNE 2024 NEWS JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt A Planning Aithority case officer is recommending the regulari- sation of an illegal decking area on the rooftop of the Aqualuna lido in Gzira, on condition that all outdoor furniture is kept free from advertisement and that sun-umbrellas "are kept closed when not in use". A final decision by the Planning Commission is scheduled for 19 June. The sanctioning of the roof- top decking area was requested by hotel owner and Malta De- velopers Association president Michael Stivala on behalf of the Bayview Hotel, the Kennedy No- va Hotel, 115 the Strand Hotel, and the Waterfront Hotel. The case officer cited "the new operational needs of the four ho- tels" and the "holistic design and visual permeability" of the pro- posal as justification for regular- isation. Bizarrely, the case officer report states that although no details have been provided in relation to the proposed outdoor furniture, photos of the site taken after the illegal extension was already in place indicate "the proposed sundeck chairs and sun-umbrel- las are made of light/earth colors palette" and are "holistic for the whole scheme." The case officer is also recom- mending the imposition of a €7,437.60 fine. Since the site lies within in the protected visual buffer zone for the Valletta World Heritage Site, it is up to the Planning Commission to de- cide whether the fine should be doubled. The report noted the no-ob- jection of the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage, which concluded that the rooftop deck- ing area has no visual impact on views towards Valletta and Ma- noel Island. Originally, the permit for the Gżira lido, which includes a res- taurant protruding into the Gżira Creek, was issued on condition that the roof was left unencum- bered by new structures, as laid out in the 2018 parliamentary resolution transferring the site to Stivala and his hotel consortium. Moreover, the land transferring deed itself, approved by a parlia- mentary resolution, specifically states that "no roof structures and services shall be placed on the roof" of the lido. PA set to approve Stivala's rooftop lido extension GAP Projects Limited has presented a planning application aimed at increasing the number of apartments on a site formerly outside develop- ment zones in Żonqor from the 118 approved in 2022, to 153. The site, which has already been excavated, was included in development boundaries in the 2006 'rationalisation' exercise and zoned for a 17.5m-high development in 2019. The new application presented by Paul Attard foresees an increase in the number of floors from five to eight, but plans indicate that this is mostly achieved by changes in layout of the sloping site after removing two basement levels, with plans showing little change in the overall height of the building. It also envisages the addition of a shop to the two already approved and a change in the project's layout to include more private open spaces, and an increase in parking spaces from 217 to 264 de- spite the decrease two basement levels from the approved four. The application is still being screened by the Planning Authority. The Environment and Re- sources Authority has asked for revised traffic studies to establish the daily flow of traffic to the site. The Design Advisory Committee, a panel which advises the PA on design issues, has declared that it is "not averse" to the proposed development. Soil clearance in February 2023 on the site ear- marked for this development has resulted in the discovery of archaeological features, including a shallow ancient quarry. But these features were considered to be "of limited archaeological value" and were simply documented. The area was also cleared of carob trees which are only protected when located outside the development zone. A planning application has been presented for the development of 48 apartments in a five-sto- rey block instead of a dilapidated farmhouse and adjacent farmland in Qrendi. The proposed development lies just 85m away from the Qrendi parish church and is opposite the Helen Keller resource centre. The 1,858 sq.m plot lies between Triq il-Kurat Mizzi and Triq il-Konvoj, within the development zone, adjacent to the buffer zone for the Qrendi church and just outside the locality's urban con- servation area. The local plan limits building heights in this area to three floors and a basement which is translat- ed into a metric height of 16.3m in current policies. The area is still mostly characterised by two-sto- rey buildings. As presented, the application foresees the complete demolition of an existing "damaged residence" and construction of 48 residential units, including eight maisonettes and nine receded penthouse and 58 private car garages. The application was presented by Darren Ciantar's Ciantar Prop- erties. Developers GAP seek more apartments on Zonqor site Qrendi farmland earmarked for five- storey block JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt The site before it was excavated