Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1531843
JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt MATTHEW FARRUGIA mfarrugia@mediatoday.com.mt 10 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 26 JANUARY 2025 NEWS Cynicism and delayed Birżebbuġa residents have expressed scepticism over a €12 million project to upgrade the town's seafront, citing a history of unfulfilled promises. Despite government plans to revitalise the promenade, locals point to a series of stalled initiatives, including the removal of oil storage tanks and the transformation of nearby industrial sites into community spaces A €12 million project aimed at revitalising 1.5km of Birżeb- buġa's promenade has been met with cynicism by residents, who have described it as yet an- other political promise they are uncertain will materialise. On 22 January, the govern- ment unveiled its plan to up- grade the town's seafront with modern infrastructure and recreational spaces. In a state- ment from the Office of the Prime Minister, it was said that the locality had been burdened by industrial growth over the years, with locals expressing frustration about develop- ments like the Freeport, which have changed the seaside town forever. Reacting to the announce- ment, residents were less than enthusiastic. Locals on social media, as well as others who spoke to MaltaToday, pointed out that the promenade pro- ject is just another addition to a list of promises that have re- mained stuck in bureaucracy. In particular, three major projects were highlighted as sources of frustration. The first issue concerned the re- moval of oil storage tanks from the 31 March oil storage facili- ty, located in a residential area. The plant had been closed in the summer of 2021. Just across the road from the storage facility is the second project, known as Il-Pont tax- Shell, a pier that had been used by tankers to unload fuel at the 31 March plant. On the eve of the 2022 general election, the government had promised the pier would be opened to pedes- Is-Sicca Private development on Enemalta land set for approval DEVELOPER Paul Attard's plans for a residential and commercial development on the site of the de- commissioned LPG plant in Qajjenza, partly owned by the majority state-owned Enemalta, are recom- mended for approval by the Planning Directorate, with a final decision scheduled for 4 February. According to the latest zoning plans, the six new residential and commercial blocks will cover 7,416 sq.m, while the remaining 15,465 sq.m of the site will be designated as public open space, with an under- ground car park. Details of the new residential and commercial blocks The new plans include three residential blocks lo- cated on the privately owned northern part of the site, which will rise to 19.9m (the equivalent of six floors). Part of the residential block facing Triq l-Ghanneja will be limited to a height of 17.5 metres (the equiva- lent of five floors). Meanwhile, the three commercial blocks, which will rise to 22 metres (seven floors), are planned for the part of the site owned by Ene- malta. These commercial spaces will include offices, retail shops, and food and drink establishments. A car park is also being proposed beneath part of the public open space on the southwest part of the site. The area zoned as public open space includes an ex- isting concrete canopy, which is being retained due to its architectural merits, as recommended by the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage. Enemalta, which has consented to Attard's appli- cation, owns 13,561 sq.m of the 23,906 sq.m site. Another 3,408 sq.m of land is owned by the govern- ment. How the local plan will change The new zoning policy for the area being proposed by Attard's Plan B Limited will replace a policy in the Marsaxlokk Bay Local Plan approved in 1995. The local plan, which Attard wants to change for the de- velopment, allows up to four floors on the part of the Qajjenza seafront facing the sea. This translates to a height of 19.9 to 22 metres, with a semi-basement allowed under post-2015 policies. The local plan does not identify a height limitation for the onshore areas presently identified for devel- opment. However, in other parts of Qajjenza, which do not directly face the promenade, heights are lim- ited to three floors, which is translated to a height of between 15.4 metres and 17.5 metres if a semi-base- ment is allowed. The local plan also foresees the development of part of the site as a boat storage area and limits com- mercial development to food and drink outlets. In his justification for the proposed building heights, the applicant explained that although the buildings will be taller than those in the surrounding area, this is justified by the larger public open spac- es, the preservation of the concrete structure, the streetscape on Triq il-Qajjenza, the more spacious and better-lit apartments, and the overall improve- ments in sustainability and green features. The case officer also argued that the proposed building heights offer the benefit of larger open spaces for the public, as well as better amenities in the apartment designs. How plans were downscaled The latest proposal does not include any devel- opment on the area facing Triq il-Qajjenza and the shoreline, as originally proposed in plans submit- ted last year. Instead, it concentrates the commer- cial and residential development on the northern part of the site along a new pedestrian road cutting through the site. The original plans also included six blocks with a height ranging between 22m and 35.5m. But the plans were changed after Energy Minister Miriam Dalli, whose portfolio includes Enemalta, expressed her dismay at photomontages published by MaltaToday in June 2024. The photomontage was later removed from the Planning Authority's public information system. Enemalta had previous- ly granted consent to the zoning application, which seeks to amend the local plan that currently limits development to three floors, rising to four by the seafront. A final decision on the zoning application, setting the parameters for future development on the site, will be taken by the Planning Authority's Executive Council, chaired by Johann Buttigieg, on 4 February.