The fate of former president Ċensu Tabone’s residence in St Julian’s, with its historical features that include an 1870 open-air theatre in its garden, remains suspended after the developers obtained a deferral until a decision on their appeal against scheduling is decided.

When the Planning Commission for applications in Urban Conservation Areas met on Monday to discuss the project, the property owners and the Gozitan developer insisted that no decision should be taken until there is a decision on their appeal against scheduling of the property.

In the most recent planning application, the developer seeks to retain some of the historical features instead of demolishing the whole house as originally proposed.

The application to build an apartment block was submitted just weeks after the Planning Authority recognised the 19th-century house, where the former president lived for most of his life, as a Grade 1 protected building.

The property, in Triq il-Karmnu, in the village core, is believed be one of the earliest in the area. According to historical documentation, its Teatru Melita was built around 1870 and is the oldest surviving theatre of any kind in Sliema and St Julian’s.

The developers now plan to retain the façade, entrance hall and the historic open-air theatre which the developers say they will restore. They also propose to retain the back garden as a communal space for the new residents.

Developer Paul Scicluna from Scicluna Enterprises (Gozo) Ltd told the Planning Commission there was a pending appeal against the Planning Authority’s decision to schedule the building. He said a decision on the matter should be taken there before the commission went ahead with its intention to shoot down the proposed project of 14 residential units over four floors.

Replying to neighbours’ concerns, architect Steve Scicluna said that little excavation would be required as the planned underground car park has been reduced from three floors to a single level with 15 garages.

Residents of neighbouring properties, however, insisted that a decision against the planned project ought to be taken as the appeal on scheduling did not have a bearing on the fact that the proposed project was not acceptable in an Urban Conservation Area.

Commission chairman Martin Camilleri agreed with the residents, saying that there was a list of other reasons for refusal and not just the fact that the building was a scheduled property. He said the developer knew from the outset there was a problem with demolishing the building before a decision to schedule it had been taken.

However, the commission upheld the request to suspend its decision.