Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1543384
18 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 22 FEBRUARY 2026 NEWS ERA calls for further assessments on Buskett old people's home THE Environment and Resourc- es Authority wants more studies before a decision is made on the construction of an old people's home instead of the vacant Bus- kett Forest Aparthotel. The project was heading for approval in November with the Development and Management Directorate recommending ap- proval despite ERA's earlier ob- jections. But the decision was postponed pending a review of the case officer report. The proposal for a three-storey, 54-room, old people's home will replace the existing buildings that has long been abandoned. In its latest report ERA con- firmed that while the develop- ment would not occupy new land, it still requires a full appro- priate assessment because of its proximity to the Buskett wood- land. The woodland is a protect- ed Natura 2000 site and a Special Protection Area (SPA). It also provides important habitats for bird species including the Lesser Spotted Eagle, European Hon- ey Buzzard, and Western Marsh Harrier. ERA also requested updated traffic data, photomontages, and landscaping information. The au- thority specified that in terms of visual appearance, the develop- ment should not negatively affect views from the surrounding areas and has asked for photomontages showing the visual appearance of the proposed development from Triq il-Buskett and the backside of the site, showing its context with the surrounding agricultural area. The proposal, submitted by Peter Borg, involves demolish- ing the vacant Buskett Forest Aparthotel and constructing a home for 100 residents. ERA had previously expressed concerns over the scale and massing of the development, noting that revi- sions submitted in 2021 reduced the building's size but did not ful- ly address the site's sensitivity. ERA has also highlighted po- tential temporary impacts dur- ing construction, including dust, noise, and vibration, and asked that mitigation measures be de- tailed in line with the Construc- tion Management Site Regula- tions. Other authorities, including the Superintendence of Cultur- al Heritage and the Design Ad- visory Committee, have raised concerns over the project's de- sign and context. But the PA's Development and Management Directorate had recommended approval, noting that the pro- posed building would not exceed the height or footprint of a 2011 outline permit for a multi-own- ership complex. Transportation assessments confirmed adequate access for vehicles, including emergency services, and the Old People's Standards Authority en- dorsed the proposal. However, the Project Devel- opment Statement (PDS) recog- nised that the development "will inevitably lead" to the transplant- ing of 14 trees. Moreover, con- struction noise and emissions may negatively impact flora and fauna in the vicinity of the site. Following media coverage, PA executive chairman Johann Butt- igieg intervened, leading to the postponement of a public hearing originally scheduled for 27 No- vember. ERA has now indicated that it will issue a final position, including any recommended en- vironmental conditions, once the assessments and requested addi- tional information are completed and submitted. JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Above: The existing abandoned building, which was once the Buskett Forest Aparthotel Left: Render showing an aerial view of the proposed development as presented by the developer in 2024 Concern over 11-storey hotel proposal that will rise above four townhouses in Gzira A proposed redevelopment of four townhouses in Gżira is raising concern over its scale and impact on the last stretch of two-storey homes in Triq Sir Charles Cameron. The planning application (259/26), submitted by DRZ Properties Ltd, seeks to demol- ish the interiors of the existing dwellings while retaining their historic façades and construct- ing an 11-storey hotel. The hotel will consist of 56 units and 112 beds.The proposed Class 3B hotel would include basement-level amenities, a ground-floor reception and restaurant, guest rooms from the first floor upwards, and a rooftop pool and facilities. If approved as submitted, the development would become the tallest building along this section of the street—a signif- icant shift in the streetscape that, despite gradual encroach- ment by five-storey apartment blocks, is still characterised by early 20th-century townhouses of modest height and tradition- al proportions. In its assessment of the ap- plication, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage stressed that the properties form part of a "significant streetscape" within a Design Priority Ar- ea, where planning policy re- quires heights, fenestration, proportions, and architectural elements to be preserved and enhanced. The authority acknowledged the proposal's retention of the existing façades but expressed concern that the scale of the new construction rising be- hind them would visually over- whelm the historic frontage and alter the character of the street. The Superintendence not- ed that the buildings contain clearly defined traditional fea- tures, including closed timber balconies, stone staircases, xorok ceilings supported by wooden beams, and extensive patterned tiles in good condi- tion. It objected to the total internal demolition and recommended that substantial elements of the interiors be conserved and in- tegrated into the project. It also urged the recovery and on-site reuse of the period tiles. Another key concern is the massing of the extension, which the authority warned would create prominent blank party walls unlikely to be screened by neighbouring properties that have already been redevel- oped. It also cautioned that the relatively low floor-to-ceiling heights proposed for the new levels could further disrupt the traditional vertical rhythm of the streetscape. The Superintendence said it will issue further comments only after revised plans ad- dressing these concerns are submitted. Reporting by James Debono