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MALTATODAY 1 September 2024

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11 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 1 SEPTEMBER 2024 JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt POSTS OF SENIOR MANAGER (PUBLIC RELATIONS) AT THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL The Office of the Attorney General is inviting applications for posts in the grade of Senior Manager to carry out information and promotional services. The selected candidates will be employed on a full-time term basis and will be required to work for a minimum of forty hours per week. Applicants must at least be in possession: a) in possession of the LL.D. or Master of Arts in Advocacy; or b) in possession of a recognised Master's qualification at MQF Level 7 or comparable qualification in Laws, Communications; or c) in possession of a recognised Bachelor's degree qualification at MQF Level 6 or comparable qualification in Communication plus three (3) years relevant working experience in a public relations/press, legal environment or in an administration position deemed relevant by the board. Letters of application, including a detailed CV, should be addressed to: The Administration Jobsplus Vacancy No 409782 Office of the Attorney General, 53, South Street, Valletta and should be submitted by not later than Friday 20 th September 2024. Five-storey block risks overshadowing medieval Dingli chapel THE Superintendence for Cultur- al Heritage has concluded that a proposed five-storey block of flats in Dingli will have an overbearing impact on a medieval chapel. The proposed development along a recently created road is close to the scheduled Santa Duminka Chapel. The immediate context is still mostly composed of two-storey houses. The SCH reached this conclu- sion after reviewing the photo- montages it had requested in April showing the proposed de- velopment next to the listed me- dieval chapel. Although the SCH does not have the final say on whether a permit is approved or not, its opinion has a bearing on planning decisions, particularly in developments pro- posed in close vicinity to listed buildings. But the Superintendence has left a window open for development in the open space around the chapel, by saying that it "may con- sider" a development that does not exceed three full floors with- out any penthouse level. The SCH would only commit itself following the submission of amended photomontages show- ing the impact of a three-storey development. The Superintend- ence reserves the right to request any further mitigation measures as may be deemed necessary. As expected, the montages show the medieval chapel sandwiched between an already constructed blank party wall and the proposed flats whose balconies will face the chapel. From one angle along Triq il-Buskett the new block will also completely obscure the al- ready compromised view of the St Mary's parish church, which is already challenged by other devel- opments. But while presently the dome and one of the church belfry tow- ers remain visible, this will no longer be the case if the new de- velopment is approved. The presentation of photomon- tages to assess the impact of de- velopments in close vicinity to scheduled buildings was made mandatory by regulations intro- duced by former planning minis- ter Aaron Farrugia in 2020. The five-storey residential block is being proposed along Triq il-Kappella Medjevali, a contro- versial street built by Infrastruc- ture Malta in 2021 amid protests by Moviment Graffitti. The application presented by Angelica Stafrace, who owns the site, foresees the development of the 184sq.m undeveloped land parcel which currently includes several fruit trees. Although inside the develop- ment zone, the proposed residen- tial block is within the buffer zone of the Santa Duminka chapel. The chapel enjoys Grade 1 protection, and the proposed development is just 17m away. The site earmarked for the de- velopment was not connected to the road network before the new road was built. Plans foresee the excavation of a reservoir, the development of ga- rages and a shop at street level, six apartments on the overlying three levels and a receded penthouse on the fifth floor. Back in 2021 Infrastructure Malta claimed the new road, which cre- ated an entrance and exit in Sqaq il-Muzew and Daħlet is-Sienja, was essential for emergency services to access these areas. But Graffitti had warned that the new road would pave the way for residential devel- opment in the area. The works on the new road were carried out in the absence of plan- ning permits because it had been included in local plans after being schemed in the 1960s and because a legal notice dating back to 2008, exempts state bodies from seek- ing permits for the development of schemed roads. Heritage watchdog gives thumbs down to five-storey f lats near medieval chapel but may consider a three-storey development instead Photomontage of the five-storey project

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