Planning Authority rejects Paola church cafeteria proposal
The PA said the cafeteria would have disrupted the church's visual symmetry
The Planning Authority has turned down plans for a cafeteria on the ground floor of the Paola Parish Church, saying the structure would disturb the church’s visual symmetry and obscure a scheduled colonnade.
The proposal for a cafeteria, filed by parish priest Fr Marc Camilleri, captured public attention in April 2024, when it was initially planned for part of the basilica’s roof.
At the time, Camilleri had argued that funds from the cafeteria would have gone toward urgent restoration works.
Plans were later revised to place the cafeteria at ground floor level, rather than the roof of the basilica’s portico, in a free-standing structure just off to one side of the church.
The revised plans (PA/02260/24) had been greenlighted by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, as well as the Curia’s own heritage body, the Kummissjoni Patrimonju Kulturali tal-Knisja.
The revised plans for the cafeteria.Nevertheless, the plans were rejected by PA, with the board arguing that “the proposed cafeteria covers the colonnade of the grade 1, it will disturb the symmetry of the church and causes visual amenity”.
'Cafeteria would have created, not disrupted, symmetry': parish priest
When contacted, Fr Camilleri said he “fundamentally disagrees” with the reasons cited by the PA in refusing the application, with the proposal designed to create, rather than disrupt, the Church’s symmetry.
“The design was meant to mirror the structure on the opposite side of the church, aiming to enhance symmetry rather than compromise it,” Camilleri said.
Plans show how the cafeteria would have replaced a row of dilapidated garages on Triq il-Knisja, on the church’s northern side.
The cafeteria would have replaced a row of dilapidated garages. File photo.Camilleri also disputed the PA’s suggestion that the cafeteria would have obstructed the church’s colonnades, pointing out that, since the church is built on a slope, the colonnade would have been above the cafeteria’s roof level.
He said the parish plans to appeal the decision.