Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1543797
15 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 8 MARCH 2026 NEWS Toyota site commercial development set for refusal over traffic impact A proposed mixed-use development featuring an eight-storey building on the former Toyota showroom site in Zebbug, is likely to be refused after Planning Authority officials warned that its traffic and parking impacts would overwhelm the surrounding road network A major commercial redevel- opment on the former Toyota showroom site in Żebbuġ is facing refusal after planning of- ficials sounded a warning over its traffic impact. The traffic generated by the proposed development would overwhelm an already congest- ed road network. For these reasons the develop- ment has been recommended for refusal by the Development and Management Directorate with a final decision to be tak- en by the Planning Board on 12 March. The proposal (PA/00879/23) by Rohan Arch Limited, a com- pany associated with the Mi- chael Debono Group, envisages the demolition of the existing buildings and their replace- ment with a hybrid commercial complex comprising four dis- tinct structures. Three would be conventional blocks, while a fourth would be a medium-rise eight-storey tower developed under the Floor to Area Ratio (FAR) policy. The scheme is entirely com- mercial in nature. It includes 15,765sq.m of office space, mostly concentrated within the eight-storey building, 19 retail outlets, a supermarket, and food and beverage establish- ments. A basement level would provide 444 parking spaces, while just over half of the FAR site area is earmarked as public open space. In its assessment, the Devel- opment Management Directo- rate described the design as "in- novative" and of "high-quality architectural value," suggesting it could act as a catalyst for ur- ban regeneration and create a "magnetic" social destination. The project was also found to meet the basic eligibility cri- teria under the FAR policy in terms of site area and develop- able gross floor space. Yet despite these positive remarks, the case officer ulti- mately recommended refusal, citing the project's unaccept- able transport impact as the overriding concern. Impact on traffic According to the Transport Impact Assessment, several key junctions surrounding the site are already operating be- yond capacity. In particular, Junction B at the Triq l-Imdina roundabout and Junction E, at Triq is-Siġġiewi are currently failing. Projections for 2032 indicate that these failures would wors- en significantly, regardless of whether the project proceeds but the additional traffic gener- ated by the development would further strain the system. At Junction B, the Ratio of Flow to Capacity (RFC) for the Triq l-Imdina arm is forecast to rise from 1.03 to 1.24, while the Triq tal-Imgħażel arm could reach an RFC of 4.66, a level indicating severe over-satu- ration. Junction D, connect- ing Triq l-Imdina and Triq is-Siġġiewi, is also projected to approach critical levels, with an RFC of 0.96. The applicant proposed struc- tural interventions to mitigate congestion, including replacing the roundabout at Junction B with traffic signals. However, even this redesign would still result in a maximum RFC of 1.00—effectively at full capac- ity—while restricting traffic movements and potentially dis- placing congestion to nearby nodes, including the rounda- bout near St Dorothy's School. At Junction E, no meaningful physical modifications were considered feasible due to lim- ited road space and constrained two-lane approaches. The study concluded that structural changes in road lay out alone would not resolve the situation, recommending instead a shift toward more sustainable transport modes in line with the National Trans- port Master Plan 2025. Howev- er, planning officials found that measures such as the Green Travel Plan and bicycle facili- ties were unlikely to meaning- fully offset the projected in- crease in private vehicle use. The development is expected to generate an Annual Average Daily Traffic flow of 1,494 ve- hicles, further burdening the network. Compounding the problem is a parking shortfall. While DC15 standards require 570 spaces, only 444 are pro- posed — a deficit of 126 spaces, or 36 when calculated through dynamic modelling. Officials warned that this shortfall could increase on-street parking pressure in surrounding res- idential areas and exacerbate congestion. The project was deemed "pre- mature", as it risks compromis- ing the Planning Authority's ability to implement a compre- hensive and integrated trans- port strategy for the wider Żeb- buġ area. The case officer concluded that the proposal runs counter to transport objectives set out in the Strategic Plan for Envi- ronment and Development, particularly those promoting modal shift and integrated mo- bility planning. A separate Visual Impact As- sessment found that the me- dium-rise tower would have impacts of "major significance" from nine out of 14 assessed vantage points. However, the Directorate considered this level of impact acceptable in the context of landmark FAR developments. Environmental issues were also flagged, including the gen- eration of some 44,000 cubic metres of excavation waste and the need for robust air quality and noise mitigation measures. JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Renderings of the proposed development