Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1534889
3 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 30 APRIL 2025 NEWS JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt A partial local plan review pro- posed by the Planning Authority has parcelled the Villa Rosa site in 12 zones with different build- ing heights. The highest development is set to rise to 39 floors, and is being proposed on the part of the Villa Rosa site closest to the Bay Street area of Paceville. A 22-storey development is al- so being proposed on two other sites - on a site immediately adja- cent to gardens surrounding Villa Rosa Gardens, and the other clos- er to the DB project. The development as proposed in the draft plan issued for pub- lic consultation is broadly in line with a development appli- cation presented by the Villa Rosa developer Anton Camill- eri in 2023 which proposed a 34-storey tower next to Bay Street and another 27-storey tower right in the middle of the 50,000sq.m site as well as a large public square between the two buildings. The plan now issued for a sec- ond public consultation envisages the development of 128,800sq.m of hotel, retail and catering devel- opment in the three towers. A further 17,700sq.m of office and other commercial develop- ment is proposed in other areas. This brings the total develop- ment to 146,500sq.m. The local plan currently lim- its development on the site to a maximum of six to seven floors. But the Planning Authority (PA) contends that the Hotel Heights Adjustment Policy, which came in place in 2014, is already appli- cable to two zones allocated for high density development in the local plan, since these are larger than 5,000sq.m, or have potential to accommodate a standalone building. "Therefore, for these two zones, in principle, current policies set no capping on building heights, and consequently the gross de- velopable floorspace," the PA said. On Tuesday, the PA insisted the new plan is aimed at ensuring the protection of key environmental and cultural assets, such as the Grade 1 scheduled Villa Rosa building and the Level 1 Harq Hammiem Cave, ensuring these features are preserved within the context of sensitive and sustaina- ble development. The Authority also claims that public access to the valley will be significantly enhanced, and development will be confined "strictly within the established site boundaries to avoid impacts on nearby sensitive areas and rec- reational zones". Moreover "the inclusion of iconic tall buildings will contrib- ute to Paceville's distinctive sky- line and support the site's trans- formation from a location to a leading tourism destination". A minimum of 5,100sq.m of public open space and 10,610sq.m of private open space is proposed to be integrated into the redevel- opment scheme. The public has till 11 June to submit its reactions and feedback on villarosa.consultation@pa.org. mt. Villa Rosa development set to rise to maximum of 39 floors Development to rise to 39 levels in part of site closest to the Bay Street area of Paceville and to 22 f loors in the part closest to DB project Villa Rosa site (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday) A draft public consultation document proposing changes to development pa- rameters on the Villa Rosa site, to allow a 39-storey high-rise, incorrectly states that only 43 objections to the plan's ob- jectives were submitted using a standard letter drafted by Moviment Graffitti. MaltaToday can confirm and verify that a total of 3,047 objections were actually submitted in this way. However, the Planning Authority's document claims that out of 4,318 to- tal submissions received, 4,212 shared the same text supporting the objec- tives of the partial local plan review for the Villa Rosa site. The document includes a full list of the 4,212 individuals supporting the local plan changes and the 43 who op- posed. MaltaToday can also confirm that some of the names listed as supporting the amendments to the local plan are identical to those who actually object- ed. MaltaToday has reached out to the Planning Authority to clarify the dis- crepancy and is awaiting a reply. Graffitti demands accountability over 'rigged' Villa Rosa public feedback In a statement NGO Moviment Graf- fitti, confirmed 3,047 objections were submitted through its online platform, which allowed users to send formal representations against the proposed plan to allow high rise development on the Villa Rosa site. The form featured a live counter to ensure transparency. However, the group said that only a small number of these objections were acknowledged in official PA documen- tation. In contrast, the PA listed over 4,000 individuals as having submitted statements of support for the Local Plan review, raising suspicion over the accuracy and transparency of the fig- ures. Graffitti further alleged that hun- dreds of individuals who used their platform to object to the project were wrongly listed by the PA as having sub- mitted statements of support instead. The group also questioned how the developer was able to publicly quote the 4,000-supporters figure shortly after the consultation closed — and before the official consultation report was published — despite the lack of any submission-tracking system on the developer's side. According to Graffitti, only two ex- planations are possible: either false data was submitted to the PA by inter- ested parties to inflate support for the project, or the PA itself deliberately manipulated the data in collaboration with the developer. The group is now calling for the process to be annulled and for those responsible for what it describes as "disgraceful manipulation" to be held accountable. It said the controversy would not erase public outrage over what it calls developers' unchecked power and a "monument to greed." Graffitti also described the local plan review as "obscene" and designed to benefit the ultra-rich at the expense of residents and the environment. Thousands objected to Villa Rosa brief but mysteriously PA only lists 43