The Smart Supermarket complex in Birkirkara is set for a comprehensive redevelopment after years of what the Planning Authority called “unorganised piecemeal expansion”.

A permit approved by the PA on Thursday will see the demolition of the existing buildings and the reconstruction of five underground car-park levels, retail and food outlets, a bakery, offices and other facilities all linked to the predominant supermarket complex.

The building will maintain the current two levels above ground, after earlier plans for a larger four-floor structure were withdrawn. The underground levels will provide parking spaces for 988 cars.

Apart from reorganising the current establishment, the PA’s case officer said the project would “improve the overall area from an aesthetic point of view”, as well as improve on current vehicle operations, reducing the supermarket’s current impact on the neighbouring area.

Unorganised piecemeal expansion

The Smart supermarket complex site has over the years grown to include two separate plots on Naxxar Road, plots on Triq Ganu and Triq Domenico Cachia and a row of houses on Triq il-Mitħna, collectively covering a massive 12,000 square metre area.

The redevelopment permit, which will include a holistic design, was approved in a

public hearing following a positive recommendation from the PA case officer.

Only deputy chair Elizabeth Ellul voted against, citing the fact that the building exceeded the area’s height limitation. There were no objections to the proposal from the Birkirkara local council, the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA), Transport Malta or other entities.

Traffic studies indicated that the impact of the additional cars on the area and traffic junctions was acceptable and that the proposed parking was enough to cater for demand. A large section of the proposed commercial area has not yet been designated for any particular use, to allow the owners to cater for new customer demands, and will be subject to a fresh application process in the  future.