Paceville underground car park, garden, get Mepa approval

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) Board has approved an outline development application for an underground car park with an overlying public garden in Paceville.

The underground car park, which can be accessed from the Westin Dragonara Resort, will accommodate 112 cars over two levels. A parcel of land situated along the St Goerge's Bay/Paceville promenade, which for years had served as an illegal car park and today has been left abandoned, will  be transformed into a public open garden.

A three -meter buffer zone along the perimeter of the garden will be paved to  enable the public to appreciate the coastal entrenchment wall.

This demi-bastion, which is scheduled as Grade 2 military wall, forms part of the extensive eighteenth century coastal wall which originally spanned all the way from St. George's Bay to St Julians Bay.

The Authority imposed a bank guarantee of €72,800 and asked the applicant to engage qualified archaeological/heritage consultants to oversee that works.

The applicant is also obliged to maintain the public garden beyond the 5 year term of a development permit and ensure that it will remain freely and fully accessible to the pubic.

The Mepa Board also approved seven planning applications for   apartments with garages in the development zone area of Ta' Hal Mula limits of Zebbug.