Minister clears Qui-Si-Sana car park misconceptions

Environment Minister George Pullicino said yesterday that he expected Mepa to consider the application for the development of an underground car park at Qui-Si-Sana on the basis of the development brief approved by the authority in 2002.

Speaking in parliament on an adjournment speech, Mr Pullicino said he wanted to clear misconceptions about the project.

The idea of developing the car park went back to 1999 when a consultation process was held ahead of the drawing up of the development brief.

Sliema local council during the development brief consultation had been in favour of having a car park beneath the garden at Qui-Si-Sana but it was of the view that the size of the garden should be retained or extended.

Indeed, in terms of the current plans, the size of the garden would increase to 7,200 square metres from the current 5,400 square metres. That would happen as the existing two surface car parks would be absorbed by the garden and the whole car park would be underground.

The development brief laid down that the sea view would be retained and improved; there would be no encroachment of the foreshore beyond the seawall; the underground car park would have 680 parking slots; the roof of the car park would not be higher than the existing profile of the garden; there would be tourist facilities/visitors' attractions within the below-ground space with entrance being from the car park entrance; the roof of the car park would be totally made up of the garden other than one kiosk of 40 square metres.

It should be borne in mind, Mr Pullicino sad, that the Sliema council in 1999 had not objected to the kiosk even though as originally projected, it would have taken up 100 square metres of space. Such a kiosk was deemed necessary to deter vandalism in the garden.

Mr Pullicino stressed that the residents and the council were consulted ahead of the drawing up of the development brief and they would be consulted again for the drawing up of a residents' parking zone. The idea was that visitors to Sliema would park in the new car park while residents would park in the residents' parking zone. This zone would be paid for by the car park developer.

Mr Pullicino said that now that an application of the car park development had been submitted, he expected that Mepa would consider it only according to the conditions of the development brief, independently of what the developer proposed.