The Planning Authority has approved plans to increase by a third the height of the tower being built at the former United Garage site in Gżira.
The PA board voted in favour of plans to add an extra five floors to the 16 approved two years ago, bringing the total height of the commercial and residential development up to 21 storeys.
ERA chairman Victor Axiak was the sole vote against. He said high-rise projects were being approved without enough consideration of the overall picture.
ERA chairman Victor Axiak was the sole vote against. He said high-rise projects were being approved without enough consideration of the overall picture
The plans were opposed by the Gżira local council, which argued that the community had not benefited in any way from the development, highlighting problems of parking, inconvenience to residents due to construction works, and businesses’ lost revenues due to road closures.
“The skyline has already been negatively affected and now looks distorted from any angle one looks at it. The Planning Authority has passed a number of applications within this area for large projects,” the council said. “This has caused too many issues for residents ... It is not right for those who want peace and tranquillity to have to continue suffering when they believe the works are to be completed this year.”
Heritage NGO Din L-Art Helwa also expressed concern over the negative visual impact of the additional floors. However, the Design Advisory Committee said the additional height would “improve the proportion of the building” and added that the “commendable” architectural treatment contributed to an “interesting dynamic look”.
Photomontages prepared by the developer showed “no negative visual impact” from key viewpoints in Valletta, Sliema, Manoel Island, Gżira and Ta’ Xbiex, according to cultural heritage authorities.
Project architect Edwin Mintoff said the additional floors, which would create five new residential units, would allow the development to fully utilise the floorspace of 8,107.5 square metres allowed under the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) Policy, which governs high-rise developments.
He added that the original application included an additional 28 underground parking spaces over those required, such that the additional residential units were already adequately catered for.
The tower is situated on triangular-shaped plot of land of around 1,410 square metres between Triq il- Gżira, Triq il-Rebħa and Triq Tas-Sliema and will include a public plaza which occupies 62% of the site at ground level.
It is one of a number of planned or proposed high-rise developments in Gżira, which was identified for such developments in the FAR Policy. Other projects include the approved 33-storey Metropolis tower, a proposed 29-storey block at the Golden Harvest building, and 18 storeys at the former Wembley ice cream factory.