A planning application for six residential and commercial blocks to be constructed on mostly government-owned land in Birżebbuġa has been recommended for approval, and a decision is set to be taken on Tuesday.

Residents’ groups and NGOs have criticised the plans to convert the former Qajjenza gas plant.

However, the environment and energy ministry said their plans for the area will benefit the people of Qajjenza as most of the Enemalta-owned land will become accessible open space.

“Of the 13,560 square metres of land owned by Enemalta, 83 per cent will be open space,” a ministry spokesperson said.

The original plans

The open space area will be divided between a public garden and a parking area – which will have an overlying green space.

Enemalta plans to develop the remaining 2,300 square metres of land into three blocks for commercial and community use. The three residential blocks will be developed by Paul Attard’s Katari Developments Ltd which owns roughly one-third of the site. 

“Enemalta will build offices that will be used by the corporation and will provide work for people in the area,” the ministry said.

The spokesperson said Enemalta will not give any of its land to private developers.

“Although all the land could be developed, we wanted to be fair with Enemalta and the people of Qajjenza,” Environment and Energy Minister Miriam Dalli said.

The plans propose three commercial and three residential blocks over an area of 7,416 square metres – around the size of a football pitch. 

The plans also include around 15,000 square metres of total open space, while the heights of the buildings proposed vary between six and seven storeys. 

The revised plans

The plans are a revision of what had originally been designed.

Speaking to Times of Malta, Dalli said: “After our intervention, the development has been significantly reduced, and now the majority of the land will be an open space”.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Robert Abela said the Enemalta-owned site will be used for public purposes.

A “project for the benefit of the community will most likely be carried out on the land owned by Enemalta”, he said.  

In a statement, environmentalist group Graffitti, Għaqda Storja u Kultura Birżebbuġa and Marsaxlokk Heritage urged the Planning Authority to reject this application and called on the government to ensure that any future proposal serves the common good.

Qajjenza is already the most congested area in Birżebbuġa and needs more public spaces, they said.