Apartment block approved opposite protected Pietà sanctuary

An apartment block has been approved opposite the Grade 1 protected Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima in Pietà, after the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage changed its position on the project.

The Planning Commission unanimously approved application PA/2201/17 on Thursday. The site is on Triq Santa Monika, opposite the sanctuary.

The permit allows developers to add two floors and a penthouse above an existing two-storey house. The structure is pre-1968 and outside the urban conservation area of Pietà.

The application has been the subject of a long planning dispute, having gone before both the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal and the Court of Appeal.

The original proposal sought permission to demolish the existing dwelling while retaining its façade, build a domestic store at basement level and construct four apartments and a penthouse on a setback floor.

The Planning Commission had initially refused the application. That decision was appealed, and the case was sent back to the Planning Authority’s Development Management Directorate by the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal, after the refusal was found to have been based on a reply from the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage.

The Court of Appeal later annulled that decision and referred the case back to the tribunal.

The tribunal then ruled that the application should be reassessed, provided that the proposed building height did not exceed the height approved in a nearby application, PA/2116/18.

It also said the height and proportions of the additional floors should respect and maintain continuity with neighbouring buildings, while addressing the requirements of the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage.

The two-storey house in Triq Santa Monika, Pietà. Photo Matthew Mirabelli

Site opposite a Grade 1 scheduled area – SCH

In 2022, the Superintendence noted that the site was opposite a Grade 1 scheduled area, Our Lady of Fatima parish church and gardens.

“The building also forms part of a largely intact row of mid-20th century houses which together form a significant streetscape worthy of preservation,” it said at the time.

The Superintendence had said the overall height should be reduced and that the extension should be moderate and sympathetic to its surroundings.

By 2026, the superintendence had updated its position after reviewing revised plans.

In its latest response, it said the new Works Method Statement was acceptable, subject to conditions including monitoring of the works by the Superintendence.

It also suggested the Planning Commission could impose a €12,000 bank guarantee.

During Thursday’s hearing, the Planning Commission approved the application unanimously.

The approved block. Photo: Planning Authority

'Intentional destruction of Malta's streetscapes' – FAA

The NGO, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar (FAA) condemned what it called, “the intentional destruction of Malta’s heritage streetscapes through the combined efforts of the Planning Authority, the Environment Planning Review Tribunal and, lately, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage.”

FAA noted that the tribunal’s decision “was so contradictory that the public can hardly be blamed for thinking it was intentional.”

It said the building should not exceed a nearby five-storey development, yet also required it to respect the height and proportions of neighbouring two-storey buildings and the requirements of the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage. The ball was thrown back to the superintendence, who FAA feels caved in instead of pushing back.

FAA concluded that, “between them, our authorities are doing a fine job of destroying the very heritage they are responsible to protect.”

Objector Lucien Stafrace, who was present for the hearing, criticised the approved design.

He said it “will be the view of all when they exit from the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima, in the coming years. It will also be the backdrop for the statue of Our Lady when re-entering the church after the feast procession.”

The case officer’s report also noted objections that the revised plans would still add floors to the existing building, potentially creating blank party walls on both sides if neighbouring restored properties are not redeveloped.

The street has already been the subject of another controversial planning decision.

In 2025, planners approved application PA/04190/23, allowing a five-storey apartment block to replace three mid-20th-century houses across the road from the Pietà parish church.