PA approves controversial redevelopment of former Dolphin Centre in Balzan
A company linked to Joseph Portelli has made several attempts to redevelop the sprawling site over the years
The Planning Authority has approved the redevelopment of the former Dolphin Centre complex in Balzan into a sprawling block of 102 apartments, 132 basement garages, 15 shops, two offices and two terraced houses.
The almost 4,000-square-metre site straddles Triq il-Kbira, Triq Guzeppi Frendo and Triq Wied Ħal Balzan, close to the town’s Urban Conservation Area (UCA).
The application, filed by Clifton Cassar on behalf of CF Homes Ltd, has a long history, following similar, less ambitious applications in 2020 and 2021.
CF Homes Ltd is a subsidiary of CF Estates Ltd, owned by construction mogul Joseph Portelli, who holds the largest single proportion of shares.
The project received more than 240 objections.
Joanna Spiteri Staines, an architect who lives close to the site, slammed the project, saying it was unacceptable that the building would rise to a height of 16.3 metres so close to the UCA and an area with villas.
“I beg the board to respect the character of Balzan. This is not the back of an industrial area – it’s the heart of our village,” she said, adding that the development was a slap in the face to residents.
Residents also complained about the so-called salami-slicing tactics employed by the developers to avoid having to be subject to an environmental impact assessment – another application for a further 11 apartments on a nearby site was approved in December.
Architect and Nationalist Party MP Toni Bezzina, representing Balzan residents, noted that the area was characterised by two-storey buildings and would now have a five-storey complex.
He added that the introduction of 104 apartments and restaurants would increase the demand for on-street parking, increase pressure on the town’s infrastructure, and exacerbate the existing risk of flooding.
Another recurring sticking point was the fate of two ficus trees near the site. Spiteri Staines called on the developers to shrink the size of the basement to protect the trees.
Bezzina said the trees did not appear to feature in the plans, with a ventilation grill occupying the space where the trees currently are.
The project’s architect, former Building and Construction Authority chairman Maria Schembri Grima, insisted the trees would not be affected, since the basement level already existed. Addressing the other concerns, she said the application took into consideration the parking and flooding issues.
While the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage (SCH) had initially expressed its concerns about the scale of the project and its visual impact on the Balzan UCA, it took into account the subsequent improvements to the plans, including the retention of a historic boundary wall, the reintegration of a niche, and the relocation and restoration of a nymphaeum
The project was approved by nine votes to two.
Balzan Mayor Angelo Micallef and NGO representative Romano Cassar voted against.