The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, the Environment and Resources Authority and the Għargħur local council are among the many objectors to a fresh attempt to build terraced houses with swimming pools outside the development zone on agricultural land.
The proposal, which the Planning Directorate is recommending for refusal, is yet another attempt to develop the same site following a lengthy planning process over the past decade.
The development replace a small farm and a field with terraced houses complete with private swimming pools and ancillary facilities. Apart from the development being in an ODZ area, the creation of a 60-metre, four-storey blank wall will become an eyesore in this rural area, objectors argued.
The original application had been filed in 2008 and granted in April 2011 despite having been recommended for refusal.
However, the decision had been overturned by the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal in July 2013 after ruling that the outline permit had expired and could not be renewed.
The full development permit application was approved in September 2013 but appealed again, leading to its revocation in 2015 when it was sent back to the Planning Directorate, which finally issued a permit in August 2015.
The decision was appealed again but the Planning Appeals Commission rejected it in November 2016.
The new application builds on this application but includes additions the Għargħur council says are in breach of the locality’s local plan.
“The proposal will ruin the skyline of this picturesque corner within the Għargħur urban conservation area and destroy the character of this conservation and rural area in a zone that is registered as a listed area,” it said.
The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage also objected to the development due to its proximity to the Victoria Lines, which were completed in 1897.
It said that just 70 metres away was a scheduled windmill – Il-Mitħna ta’ Ħal-Għargħur – next to which is a historic stone water tank. World War II public air-raid shelters are recorded to be located in close proximity to the proposed development.
According to residents, the site was, until recently, being used as agricultural land as it forms part of a stretch of fields bordering the urban conservation area of Għargħur and extending down into the valley on to the Victoria Lines.
Moreover, they argued, access to the land was extremely restricted with an alley barely three metres wide and just one entry and exit point. They insisted parking in the area was already a problem and this would only get worse if the proposed plan was given the green light.
The Environment and Resources Authority said the development would have an adverse impact on the future of farming in the area by reducing the amount of agricultural land available, not only through approval of this application but by setting a precedent for further such development applications leading to the gradual urbanisation of what should be protected agricultural land.
“The area certainly cannot take any more development and traffic. Any further development within the area will not only aggravate the existing congestion and parking problems but will also undermine the community’s quality of life. For these reasons, we call on the Planning Authority to refuse the above-mentioned application and similar urbanisation of ODZ sites,” it said.