The Żebbuġ local council has joined residents and eNGOs objecting to plans for a seven-storey, 260-bed home for the elderly that would tower over rows of terraced houses at the edge of town.
The proposed home is just 35 metres away from a Grade 1 scheduled windmill dating back to the Knights’ era.
Objectors say it would ruin the locality’s skyline and have a detrimental impact on the surrounding residential area.
Local residential areas should be protected and not transformed into a commercial hub- Objectors
The developer is Hermann Mallia, on behalf of Fulani Properties Ltd. They are seeking permission to build a block of 98 bedrooms with 260 beds as well as a therapy pool, laundry facilities, a chapel, a multipurpose hall, a retail area, hairdresser, pharmacy, medical clinic and four floors of underground parking spaces.
The proposed development (PA/02070/23 ) is in Triq il-Mitħna and Triq Giovanni Pullicino, which runs along the development area and overlooks an outside development zone.
Residents objecting to the plans pointed out that the “monster” development would be in breach of the local plan which stipulates that such homes for the elderly should be of “a small scale and do not create adverse impacts on the residential amenity of the area”.
Home is not 'small scale'
They maintain the home cannot be defined as small scale as it would consist of seven floors above ground and four underground.
The council called for a traffic impact assessment given that the project would surely intensify the traffic in a quiet residential area. It also requested long-distance views to see the impact on the skyline.
Objectors say the home would have a detrimental impact on their quality of life since it would generate noise and air pollution.
“Local residential areas should be protected and not transformed into a commercial hub,” they said.
They also said the home, if given a permit, would reach a height of 24 metres, which is 6.5 metres higher than the general maximum allowable in an area predominantly made up of two-storey terraced houses.
Part of the proposed building would create a 21-metre blank party wall that would form the backdrop of the protected windmill.
'Completely out of context'
Din l-Art Ħelwa also objected to the application, saying it was “seriously concerned” about its impact on this urban landscape.
“The seven-storey building does not suit the character and distinctness of this streetscape and will change the nature, scale and character of an entire streetscape.
It is a completely unsuitable location for the application of the height adjustment policy… and will result in an inappropriate building height that is completely out of context with its surroundings,” it said.
Moviment Graffitti held that with 180 degrees of unobstructed views of ODZ land, the building’s height would make it visible from kilometres away.
“Such an illegally tall building will not only ruin the character of the area but also set a worrying precedent for future development,” it said.