Planning Authority gives thumbs down to Mensija ridge-edge project

The Planning Commission has given the thumbs down for a proposed development project on the Mensija ridge edge limits of San Gwann.

The proposed project sought planning permission for the demolition of existing dilapidated structures and the excavation and construction of underlying car parking levels with 35 overlying duplex residential units with gardens and pools.

The Commission agreed with the Planning Directorate’s recommendation and cited that the proposed development poses a threat to the high cultural and historical value of the adjacent area.

The area is characterised by a cluster of buildings forming a hamlet.

Two important protected Grade 1 buildings, namely the Mensija Sanctuary and the Lanzun Tower are an integral part of this hamlet.

The proposed building would have also created an unsightly blank party wall overshadowing the valley of Wied Ghomor.

The Commission also noted that the proposed development, particularly the excavation works, will be located immediately adjacent to a major karstic doline and may have a significant effect on the geological, geomorphological or physiographical integrity of the site.

The project ran counter to a number of planning policies namely that a new development only allows the construction of one internal residential unit and that the building was going to exceed the 30-meter depth.

This may compromise the integrity of existing gardens and backyards that provide a positive contribution to the urban grain of a street and neighbourhood.

The proposed development was also objected to by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage and the Environment and Resources Authority.

For more information contact the Planning Authority Communications Office on +356 2290 2019.