Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/783519
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 8 FEBRUARY 2017 News 7 JAMES DEBONO THE Enviironment and Plan- ning Commission has called on Labour MP Clifton Grima to preserve the façade of a 19th century townhouse in St Ju- lian's which was earmarked for demolition in a planning application presented by the MP. The townhouse, located in Birkirkara Hill – the old street linking Birkirkara and St Julians – is one of two semi detached vil- las which were among the first to be built in the area. The property still retains a unique entrance porch with three arches and a three metre high garden rubble wall, separating the property's garden from the street. The commission's final decision, which was due on Friday, has been put off to 3 March. The case of- ficer has been ordered to prepare reasons for refusal if the façade is not retained. In December, MaltaToday re- vealed that the case officer had recommended the approval of the application presented by Grima in July 2015, two years before he be- came an MP, replacing Leo Brin- cat. Grima, a former Labour mayor of Msida and candidate in the 2013 general election, was ap- pointed CEO of Mount Carmel hospital in 2013. He took Leo Brincat's seat in parliament in October 2016. When contacted and asked whether he intends to retain the façade as ordered by the commis- sion, Grima replied that the mat- ter is being tackled by the archi- tect and he was not aware of the details of the project. He also pointed out that during the processing of the application nobody from the PA had pointed out the need to preserve the fa- çade. The 19th century house is set to make way for seven duplex apart- ments set over four floors. Heritage watchdog Din l-Art Helwa had described the applica- tion as "low quality development", noting that the absence of such a basic amenity as a lift showed that the "developer is solely after squeezing in the maximum num- ber of sub-standard apartments". Din l-Art Helwa called on the PA to include Birkirkara Hill in the Urban Conservation Area to protect these buildings "from the aggressive grip of developers who want to tear down historical townhouses to replace them with smaller apartments." Even if the façade is retained the proposal would still result in the elimination of a garden which is unique in being adjacent to the road from which it is separated by an old rubble wall. The Planning Authority's case officer recommended the demo- lition because the building is not inside the urban conservation ar- ea (UCA) and because the height of the new building respects 2015 design guidelines. The design for a new façade was also deemed to respect the architectural charac- ter of the area. Din l-Art Helwa said the build- ing was one of the first to be built in the area. The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage has not been consulted over the application. The proposal takes advantage of recently introduced DC2015 poli- cies for building heights in order to accommodate a new ground floor level. As proposed the ground level is primarily occupied by garages. Objectors insisted that this will destroy the streetscape of one of Birkirkara Hill's character- istic corners. Planning Commission asks Labour MP to retain townhouse façade No Xemxija-to- Mellieha road link before 2025 JAMES DEBONO A new road between Xemxija and Mellieha is still included in the list of new roads qualifying for EU funding but will not be completed before 2025, a reply to a parlia- mentary question reveals. Replying to a question by Na- tionalist MP Censu Galea, Trans- port Minister Joe Mizzi confirmed that the "road linking Xemxija and Mellieha is not being indicated in the list of TEN T projects ear- marked for completion before 2025." The first proposal connecting Xemija and Mellieha, passing from Manikata, was aborted in 2006 after protests from farmers in the area. Subsequently a new proposal was made partly utilising an al- ready established route start- ing from Triq Ghajn Tuffieha to Xemxija road, to Mizieb across the Pwales Valley and close to the agricultural areas of Ta' Gannaru and l-Imbordin. It then connects to the 545m tunnel under the Xaghra ta' l-Ghansar ridge, and a small flyover bridge up to the ex- isting Mellieha road. But amid major environmental concerns, the road was not even considered one of the transport authority's priority projects for the period 2007-2013. Former roads minister Jesmond Mugliett described the new bypass as "a very tricky issue", acknowl- edging that the alternative route posed a risk to the Mizieb aquifer, protected by European laws but already endangered by the illegal extraction of water. But the tunnel treads on the easternmost edge of a drinking water protection zone, covered by EU legislation. The new project raises concerns about the ecological impact on a scheduled area, which serves as a buffer zone to the Simar re- serve. In the past years, the PA has scheduled the Simar area, which includes parts of Pwales, Simar, l- Imbordin, Ta' Gannaru, ix-Xaghra ta' l-Ghansar and Ta' Rkuplu. The new road network would al- leviate the traffic choking Xemxija Hill, the main artery linking the rest of Malta to Mellieha and Go- zo, which takes 23,000 cars every day. The problem is compounded by an increase in development in Xemxija. In 2009 Transport Malta warned that 774 new apart- ments at Mistra, "would exacer- bate the present traffic situation". Although approved in 2013, the project has failed to materialize. The development of an undersea tunnel connecting Malta and Go- zo could also increase pressure for the Xemxija link. Clifton Grima (inset) must preserve the facade of this property in his project