Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1541426
4 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 19 NOVEMBER 2025 charged with involuntarily damag- tained. has taken place and CCTV footage NEWS Description of Proposal: SITE PLAN Owners of land parcels within the site indicated above intend to submit a Planning Control Application to the Planning Authority regarding the above site in line with the requirements of Art. 4 of L.N. 71/07. An attempt to trace all owners was made, however not all owners could be found. This notice is being made to inform owners who could not be traced about the proposed application. Such owners may contact the architect on the numbers indicated below by not later than (15 days from the date of this advert) for more details. ARCHITECT: ADDRESS: TEL / MOBILE NO: Site at, Triq il-Qala, Qawra Adjustment to approved PC 004/10 Perit Ruben Sciortino RS Design Assoc. Sorenson, Triq D.Cremona, Hamrun 79311234 / 21247356 ruben@rsdesign.eu / secretary@rsdesign.eu 102 apartments proposed in new plans for Balzan Dolphin supermarket site CF Developer Ltd has presented new plans for the construction of 102 apartments on the site of the Dolphin supermarket complex in Balzan. The site lies along Triq il-Kbi- ra and a previous permit for 88 apartments was revoked by the Environment and Planning Re- view Tribunal and the law courts. The plans include 15 shops, a basement car park over two lev- els for 132 cars, two offices and two terraced houses. The devel- opment is being proposed over a ground floor and four overlying floors including a recessed pent- house level. The new plan includes a new pedestrian road cutting across the development approved in a zoning application earlier this year. CF Developer Ltd is a subsidiary of CF Estates, a company which includes major developer Joseph Portelli as the largest shareholder, owning 30% of the company. The remaining 70% is equally split between Clifton Cassar, Duncan Micallef, Francis Agius and Ste- phen Falzon. But the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage has already ex- pressed concern on the develop- ment noting that the "large-scale development" is being proposed "in close proximity to the Urban Conservation Area". It is further noted that the surrounding area is characterised by relatively low building heights and volumes. "Consequently, the proposed development would be incongru- ous with its context and is likely to have a significant negative visual impact on both the surrounding area and the Urban Conservation Area," the superintendence said. But the SCH has for now re- served its judgement until the presentation of photomontages showing the visual impact of the proposed development. A previous permit for the de- velopment of 88 apartments, basement garages and 2,400sq.m of retail outlets, was initially ap- proved by the Planning Authority in 2022. However, the permit was partly revoked by the tribunal, which limited the number of floors to three full floors and one receded floor, instead of the four full floors and one receded floor which had been initially approved. CF Developers appealed the tri- bunal's decision but the Court of Appeal rejected the company's arguments. The court concluded that the tribunal was acting fully within its remit when it adopted a "more restrictive interpretation" of the building height. Meanwhile, the company pre- sented a zoning application to create an eight-metre-wide public pedestrian footpath connecting Triq il-Kbira with Triq Wied Ħal Balzan, cutting across the Dol- phin Complex. This passage will primarily serve pedestrians with access restricted by removable bollards to allow only emergency and service vehicles. The new road will enable the developer to increase the depth of the proposed development. According to the case officer who recommended its approval it will also increase the gap between the developable footprint and the ad- jacent residential priority area to the north of the site. The case of- ficer claimed that the new passage will contribute to better-designed facades, thus "eliminating the risk of high blank party walls." The application was approved after the addition of a condition aimed at safeguarding two iconic Ficus trees. The new condition stipulates that the kerb around the trees must be clearly indicated in the plans. The plans include 15 shops, a basement car park over two levels for 132 cars, two offices and two terraced houses. The development is being proposed over a ground floor and four overlying floors including a recessed penthouse level JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt