Land next to 400-year-old Siġġiewi church ruins could become residential area

Abandoned land beside 400-year-old Siġġiewi church ruins could become a residential zone of up to three floors after the Planning Authority recommended approving a zoning change. 

The area's local plan currently includes provisions to protect the site of the former parish church, including maintaining a pedestrian space to support views of the ruins, a six-metre buffer zone and stepped building heights.

It also includes the design for a pedestrian area accessible from nearby Triq il-Knisja l-Qadima and requires a quarter of the development site to be left as a green area.

Photo: Matthew Mirabelli.

A zoning application (PC/00033/18) filed seven years ago proposes a revision to the area’s local plan, however, allowing for the building of three-storey structures adjacent to the ruins.

The application proposes to establish official alignments, building heights and designations for the development areas, including public and private open spaces.

The proposal scraps the plans for the pedestrian area and instead will include both private gardens and public open spaces to act as a buffer between the buildings and the church ruins.

The proposed scheme, which includes a public passageway between the two blocks leading the gardens acting as a boundary wall for the historic ruins. Photo: Planning Authority

A public passageway 7.63m wide will cut through the development site to provide access to the public open space located next to the ruins. Two-storey blocks are earmarked for the area overlooking the public open passageway.

Three-storey blocks, including basement and semi-basement, are proposed for the rest of the site.

The applicant is Keith Abela, and the architect is Robert Musumeci.

The case officer assigned to evaluate the zoning application recommended it for approval. The decision will be taken on Tuesday.

Photo: Matthew Mirabelli.

Siġġiewi mayor Julian Borg said the council would push for a bigger public open space and the preservation of the grade 1 physical structure during Tuesday’s hearing.

“The Siġġiewi local council had inserted representation to PC33/18 both in 2018 and again in 2023, stating that any plans should follow the local plan provisions and have due regard to the ruins of ‘Knisja il-Qadima,” Borg said.

Concerns over development impact on protected site

The old church, dedicated to St Nicholas of Bari, dates back to the 15th century and was built soon after Siġġiewi was officially recognised as a parish in 1436.

It remained the centre of town until the population increased and the new church was built in 1693.

Photo: Matthew Mirabelli.

Photo: Matthew Mirabelli.

For many years, the medieval church ruins were left abandoned until the authorities carried out a restoration project in 2007, preserving the ruins, which have a Grade 1 scheduling status- the highest level of protection.

When the zoning application was first filed, the Siġġiewi local council came out against the plans, highlighting how it could cut off the clear line of sight from Triq Lażżaru Pisani and did not provide for enough green area.

The local parish, together with two Siġġiewi heritage NGOs - Fundazzjoni Patrimonju Siġġiewi and Għaqda Kulturali Siġġiewi - called for the PA to ensure that the historic site was not “buried” beneath development.

Architect and art historian Conrad Thake had also warned that the development would “seriously compromise” the visual appreciation of the old church.