Residents, activists and organisations have expressed opposition to a proposal that would see a green space in Santa Luċija developed into a residential block, "severely impacting" the low-lying and quiet character of the village.

The proposal would see the construction of 36 apartments, five maisonettes and seven penthouses over five floors, within the low-lying townscape. The new block would be two to three floors higher than the existing surrounding buildings.

Currently, the site area is home to more than 30 fully grown olive trees among other citrus trees which are still being taken care of, an objector to the proposal said.

Stakeholders have until now filed 166 objections to the plans, insisting they are in contravention of several policies regarding height and development density, outlined in the Strategic Plan for Environment and Development.

An objection letter, shared by Moviment Graffitti and the Santa Luċija council states that “the visual impact of the development will be drastic to the existing townscape’s configuration”.

An objector who lives close to the proposed site said the new apartments including the penthouses will be overlooking their homes.

Santa Luċija mayor Charmaine St John said the project would be the first mega-development in the locality, which is characterised by greenery and open spaces. Traffic and parking issues would also increase with the development, she warned.