The mayor of Naxxar did not have a conflict of interest when she voted for the construction of two towers on the locality’s former trade fair car park, a planning appeals board has ruled as it rejected an appeal against the development.
Anne Marie Muscat Fenech Adami voted for the project last year, despite the local council previously opposing the height of the blocks, measuring eight and 10 floors.
The mayor was free to express herself according to what she thought was appropriate- Planning tribunal
The PN politician refused an order to resign from the party after it emerged she was a company secretary to a firm partly owned by Edwin Mintoff, the architect of the project.
The Environment and Planning Review Tribunal this week rejected an appeal filed by environment NGOs and residents who questioned the impartiality of the mayor.
The tribunal, chaired by Robert Sarsero, with Andre Borg and Alexander Zammit as members, ruled that nowhere did it result that Muscat Fenech Adami had any kind of conflict of interest in the approved project.
It said the mayor was free to express herself according to what she thought was appropriate, without fear or favour towards the applicant company, in accordance with her oath of office.
The appeal was filed by Din l-Art Ħelwa, Għaqda Kulturali Wirt Naxxari, Nationalist councillor Joseph Spiteri and several Naxxar residents.
136 residences on 10 floors
Approved in December, the project will occupy the parking lot of the former trade fair grounds in Naxxar.
It is split into two elliptical blocks standing eight and 10 floors high and will have a public open space between the two buildings.
Spearheaded by San Pawl tat-Tarġa Investments Ltd, the project includes 136 residential units and penthouses as well as shops, restaurants and other commercial outlets.
The objectors argued that the project would have a detrimental visual impact on the Naxxar skyline. They further claimed it did not meet several policy guidelines and the area was unsuitable for medium-rise buildings because it was surrounded by structures lower than four storeys.
They also expressed “grave concerns” about the impartiality of the mayor.
Muscat Fenech Adami, they said, is the company secretary of Chalet Bulgari Ltd, of which the project’s architect, Mintoff, is a director and shareholder.
She is also CEO of Veduta Estates Ltd, a company that owns 14 per cent of Chalet Bulgari Limited.
Muscat Fenech Adami has denied any wrongdoing or any conflict of interest and remains a member of the Nationalist Party.
In its decision, the appeals tribunal partially upheld arguments regarding submitted plans relating to the childcare centre, giving the developers 30 days to file fresh plans clarifying which part of the outside space earmarked for the childcare centre will be open to the public.
The tribunal also ruled that the Planning Authority had not failed to take visual impacts into consideration when approving the project.