Work starts on massive Balluta development
Project approval jars with recommendation in local plans - FAA
The site is to the right of the Le Meridien hotel and stretches well into the side of the valley.
An old villa in Balluta valley will soon disappear as a massive 96-apartment development inches closer to it.
The house, Villa Rockyvale, will be demolished to make way for Balluta Terrace, a massive apartment complex on 12 floors, which was given the green light by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority last June.
The site is next to Le Meridien hotel and stretches well into the side of the valley. The complex also includes office space and 76 garages in a large underground car park.
Work on a section of the development has already started. Last week preparations were being made for the rest of the block - which will lead to the villa and adjacent land being cleared.
According to the local plans the buildings should not be higher than six floors. But in this case the developers reduced the size of each floor to fit in the equivalent maximum height - a trick of the trade which has become almost standard with large-scale developments.
But despite its size and scale, the project largely went undetected on environmentalists' radar.
The only objection filed was by a neighbour who took the matter to court. His issue with the project was, however, settled out of court when the developers bought his property, increasing the size of their footprint in the process.
Previously, Mepa had refused two applications for much smaller developments in the area, but last June it approved the project with hardly any reservations.
The case officer recommended the project for approval and even appeared to be impressed with the design: "The resulting configuration of the proposed development makes for a rather interesting, wedge shaped block," he said.
Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar spokesman Astrid Vella said the development's approval jarred with a recommendation in the local plans covering the area.
She quoted from a passage in the document which states: "Away from the waterfront, there is a major lack of open space and continued speculative demand for dwellings as an asset investment, which results in the construction of large inappropriately sized apartment blocks in relation to the scale of the street and the surrounding road infrastructure.
"Many of these properties remain vacant for long periods... Approximately 62 per cent of the plan area is built up compared with a national average of 21 per cent and eight per cent for Europe. In localities such as Sliema and St Julian's further development would increase noise, traffic, overshadowing, sense of enclosure and degradation of the public realm...
Many of the coastal belt residential areas are over-developed and thus require a restrictive approach to further development."
Ms Vella asked whether the Mepa board considered that its approval of over 90 new apartments on this previously unbuilt green area respected its own policy guidelines.
The Sliema and St Julian's area already had over 5,000 empty housing units and a serious air pollution problem that impacted negatively on residents' health, she said. Furthermore, it had registered air pollution levels that exceeded EU limits by 25 per cent.
The project involves Azzopardi Brothers directors Charles and Tony Azzopardi, Dhalia real estates, financier Norman Spiteri and a prominent architect who is not new to controversial developments, Joe Bondin.
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Anna Farrugia
Sep 1st 2009, 18:19
Shame is a word not known anymore in our Language - I start to suspect we would have been better off without MEPA............. :-(((((
E. Azzopardi
Aug 30th 2009, 23:06
I suppose adding to the thousands of empty dwellings and further ruining of this "l-art helwa"
Politicians say that they listen to the people, especially after a good beating in the polls, but it is not the case. I am of the opinion that they do not believe what they themselves say !. So how can the citizens believe them.
Get on with it. Get on with the destruction.
Astrid Vella
Aug 30th 2009, 20:33
I agree with all that Davide Carlucci has said. Having just spent three weeks in Italy, we met many people who had holidayed in Malta but it killed me that not a single adult said they would return (the only person who really liked it was a teenage language student).
The most they could bring themselves to say was that Malta is "Interesting". When pressed for further comment they admitted that they thought that Malta is dirty and over-built and that, having seen Malta's heritage sites, they have no inclination to return.
It is very sad that the authorities cannot realise that long-term jobs in tourism are being sacrificed for short-term jobs in construction. Of course there are other factors at play, like the fact that developers bankroll many electoral budgets.
Incidentally, Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar did submit an official objection to MEPA about this project which destroys a lovely old country villa and its surrounding gardens and fields which were most likely ODZ lands before the manipulations of the Local Plans somehow changed so many building zone lines to suit developers' plans.
Davide Carlucci
Aug 30th 2009, 19:59
I am italian so sorry for my english. But i want to say that Malta needs a big popular movement against the devastation of the island made by buildings and hotels. The problem is: will Malta die of bad tourism or will choose another future, betting to its unique and particular identity? The old architecture of Malta, a strange mediterranean crossover between maltese, english-colonial, arab and italian styles, is the principal reason of his beauty. You want destroy just this? I come often here and every time i realise that it is becaming uglier and uglier. A lot tourist sustain that Malta is beautiful but s being ruined by the excess, unplanned and unsustainable development. And it is really strange that Unesco doesn`t interfere in protecting the island. I think that this archipelago is becoming the capital of unsustainable tourism in the Mediterranean. And it would be good if enviromentalists organize here a conference to saveguard all the islands ot South Europe.
Matthew Borg
Aug 30th 2009, 19:40
... and I will tell my kids when having a pizza with them at Zeppi's: "I remember when I could see the sky from here"
Peppi Micallef
Aug 30th 2009, 19:33
Yes. I just give up. It is of no use to voice my concerns,.....FOR WHAT???
I am sorry for my country MALTA I love you so much! I would do anything,...really. I was one who protested for the Bahrija ''development'' ( sorry for using the word ''development'') , showed my concerns for other projects,an others and others ..but to no avail. I,.. I just give up. Sorry. Some people just want more and more. They see you as a cow that is there just for milk,..no more no less! .. Again. forgive us
Nigel Lawrence
Aug 30th 2009, 16:06
I think that the owners of this resplendant new slum will be slightly teed off when they find that nobody is available to buy their little concrete holes
Jimmy Magro
Aug 30th 2009, 14:48
The Times should publish the members of the DCC at the time the permit was approved.
Are costs involved with the issue of MEPA permits tax deductable too?
Joe Fenech
Aug 30th 2009, 14:37
"But despite its size and scale, the project largely went undetected on environmentalists' radar.
The only objection filed was by a neighbour who took the matter to court. His issue with the project was, however, settled out of court when the developers bought his property, increasing the size of their footprint in the process."
Says a lot about the pathetic Maltese people (well, a big part of them).
Malta deserves all this for being greedy, insensitive towards nature and the environment, for thinking that we are the centre of the world and that everyone's eyes are on Malta. Stop thinking you'll be attracting people here - Malta's finished. Had you preserved its beauty you would have people flocking there, but no one is going to come to an island of "cement, stink and sun".
M Borg
Aug 30th 2009, 14:30
What to do now? Emigrate? Find a nicer country? This one's going to the dogs.
I was really fooled into voting PN when the PM promised he'd take responsibility for MEPA.
Brian Ferrante
Aug 30th 2009, 14:15
The case officer recommended the project for approval and even appeared to be impressed with the design: "The resulting configuration of the proposed development makes for a rather interesting, wedge shaped block," he said.
Haven't we got wedge shaped buildings everywhere?
Joe Fenech
Aug 30th 2009, 13:27
M Borg:
So have many others!!!! The rape of our land by our government is the same as what African dictators are doing to their own countries.
We've hit rock bottom!!!
We're are Graffiti and the NGOs??????
James A. Tyrrell
Aug 30th 2009, 13:20
Oh good, more empty properties, just what Malta needs. On the plus side you have tens of thousands of properties for people to stay in when they visit your beautiful island. On the negative side you are turning your beautiful island into a concrete slum, which means no one will want to visit it. Well done Mepa!
Galea. L
Aug 30th 2009, 12:57
More environment destroyers given the go-ahead by MEPA.
Can anyone blame people for believing that corruption is rampant?
Paul Barrett
Aug 30th 2009, 12:39
96 Apartments but only 76 Garages.
With the trend being that each family seems to have at least two cars, these apartments should have not less than 96 double garages tied to and not to be separated from the ownership/sale or rent of the apartment.
Presumably the building will have the legally required water catchment/well built ?
Karen Zammit Manduca
Aug 30th 2009, 12:21
@ MARVIC TONNA - "At least, 96 new apartments will help a continued slump in property prices."
....and it will also help to continue turning much of these areas into modern-day slums!
Joe Fountain
Aug 30th 2009, 11:55
Go on!! keep on filling the empty spaces ... unbeleivable ... like malta needs another 96 flats.
ms g hoare
Aug 30th 2009, 11:52
THIS IS WERE, M.E.P.A . IS GOING THE WRONGWAY . I AM JUST AN ORDINARY PERSON WITH NO DEGREE IN BUILDING ENGINEERING BUT I CAN TELL WHEN THINGS ARE WRONG .
SO THEY ARE BUILDING A 96 APARTMENTS YET ONLY 76 GARAGES ,THIS IS DISGUSTING TO SAY THE LEAST AND IT HAD THE APPROVAL OF THE M.E.P.A , IT SHOULD BEEN THE OTHER WAY ROUND MORE GARAGES THEN APPARMENTS AND THEN SOME WILL BE SCREAMING THAT NOT ENOUGH PARKING AROUND THE AREA , HOW COULD THIS GONE TROUGH IS UNBELIEVABLE .
Peter Bonnici
Aug 30th 2009, 11:46
Disgusting stuff. I don't know how mepa board members slep at night. They are responsible for one ecological disaster after another. They are spineless. I'm surprised that one particular developer is involved in this destructive project. Its bang opposite his residence and he's going to have to live with it. But then again, perhaps he's saving up for his afterlife.
R.Gauci
Aug 30th 2009, 11:44
MEPA= Malta Envoirment Parishing Authority !! What a Laugh!!
Why keep on building apartments when we have thousands empty??
Is this part of a plan so when more illegals come to Malta will have their accomodation ready?!!
Build the disatrous infrastrucutre ie. roads,pavements,boundary walls etc.. there are on the Island not continue to spoil the envoirment!!
One was right to call the Maltese Gahan!!
tanya briffa
Aug 30th 2009, 11:41
Just what we need. More apartments, less open spaces. Well done.
Moira Heath
Aug 30th 2009, 11:33
Me too.
Marvic Tonna
Aug 30th 2009, 11:21
@M Borg:
Me too.
At least, 96 new apartments will help a continued slump in property prices.
M Borg
Aug 30th 2009, 11:04
I've given up on this country.
Please choose the reason of your report below: