The culture watchdog has called for the protection of a 19th-century house in St Julians which is earmarked to be converted into an eight-floor, 50-bedroom hotel.

The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage insisted with the Planning Authority that it was strongly objecting to the application by Mark Camilleri to turn the house and adjacent properties, including a garage and a cellar, into a hotel.

The case officer is also recommending refusal.

As is.

The site proposed for development consists of a number of buildings abutting the urban conservation area on Triq is-Sorijiet and stands almost 60 metres away from a cluster of Grade 2 dwellings. An air-raid shelter is recorded just 13 metres away from the property.

The superintendence said it had already expressed its views in a previous application covering the same site for the part demolition of some of the structures and the development of five floors of residential units. This application had been approved in 2017.

Together with the Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee (CHAC), the superintendence had concluded that most properties within the block did not have such value as to merit preservation.

As proposed.

However, the 19th century house overlooking Triq il-Qalb Imqaddsa had historical and architectural value that warranted its preservation and integration into any proposed development.

They said the building consists of two groundfloor lateral rooms, entrance hall and piano nobile. Some of the rooms boast traditional building techniques such as barrel vaults, wooden beams, old ceiling slabs and the original spiral staircase. They reiterated their earlier assessment of the property: that the proposed interventions on the 19th century building are “excessive and unacceptable”.

The proposed interventions on building are excessive and unacceptable

The superintendence also expressed its concern about the extensive excavations in the vicinity of the 19th century house, “which may jeopardise its structural integrity and stability”.

It further expressed concern about the considerable height that is being proposed, noting that this would create “an undesirable precedent” for very high development along Triq il-Qalb Imqaddsa and in the vicinity of Casa Leone, a property of architectural and historical value, currently a home for the elderly.

The superintendence called on the planning watchdog to turn down the application.

Din l-Art Ħelwa and Futur Ambjent Wieħed also objected to the proposal as did the local council, which insisted that all plans refer to the area as a residential zone.

Moreover, the height, which reaches 10 floors on one side of the development, given that it is situated on a hill, is way beyond the allowed maximum height for St Julian’s.

The council noted the parking problem that the 50-bedroom hotel would cause since no on-site parking was being proposed as part of the project.