The Żebbuġ local council is opposing a proposed home for the elderly over a commercial complex on the site of an old winery, primarily because of the additional two floors being planned.
The project, (PA7492/10) being pushed by developer Jean Borg, is proposing the excavation of two floors for parking, a kitchen and laundry store rooms and the construction of a retail complex and five overlying floors for a “care facility”, including ancillary services.
The proposal is for a commercial complex of at least eight shops at ground floor, a multipurpose hall and daycare facilities, among others.
The site is in Triq tal-Grazzja, corner with Triq Xmun Attard, one of the oldest areas in the urban conservation area of Żebbuġ, where the prevailing height of buildings is two floors. It will also dwarf the nearby 17th-century Tal-Grazzja chapel, a scheduled property.
According to representations received by the Planning Authority, residents have complained that the proposed development constitutes excessive overdevelopment both in terms of scale and building mass on a site situated within the Żebbuġ urban conservation area. They argued that the proposal was “totally incompatible” and incongruous with the surroundings.
Moreover, they said the mixed-use of a care facility and eight retail outlets is incompatible with the residential character of the street.
“Having eight shops in a row is tantamount to creating a small shopping arcade within the village core, which is incompatible both with the residential character of the neighbourhood and the proposed care facility which still remains very ambiguous in terms of exact use,” one of the objectors wrote.
The council and residents are complaining about the traffic that such a project would generate, exacerbating the considerable traffic flow in this one-way street. Furthermore, they claim that the parking provision of 47 spaces falls far short of the requirements for this type and scale of development.
Żebbuġ mayor Malcolm Paul Galea was one of those who vociferously opposed the proposed project. He appealed to residents to join forces to oppose turning the Ħal Kaprat winery into an old people’s home with more than 1,700 square metres of floor space. He said the matter was discussed at council level and a residents’ meeting had also been organised.
The time window to file objections expires tomorrow, November 1.