The planning authority has approved a minor change to local plans for a site in St Julian’s to include additional uses such as offices and a supermarket.

The site, between the parish church and the primary school on Mikiel Anġ Borg Road, was designated as a public car park and the amendment is aimed to significantly increase the feasibility of the project.

The modification to the local plan does not change the zoning for any possible development in Lapsi Street as it was, and remains, limited to residential development only not exceeding three floors.

All the board members of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority voted in favour, except for deputy chairman Franco Montesin.

Architect Ray DeMicoli explained that the change in zoning was requested because there were plans to eventually build a car park, to relieve congestion, as mentioned in the local plan. However, there had to be an element of commercial use, such as offices or a supermarket, for the project to be feasible.

“The car park alone with the weekend peak on Friday and Saturday evening is not feasible, so we had to find other uses to increase demand and to subsidise it,” he said.

The space and density, if any, allocated for such uses would only be determined when a development application for the project was filed, the planning authority said later.

The residents and stakeholders were consulted about the change. Although it was still early, Mr DeMicoli said the car park was expected to have about 400 spaces. “Once you have a car park, the restaurants in the area will benefit as will church-goers and residents,” he said.

The planning control application required the signature of 75 per cent of the surrounding residents and about 78 per cent signed, Mr DeMicoli said.

The project had to be sensitive to the area’s needs and “it is important for Lapsi Street residents to have a link so we will provide a lift linking the road to the town centre,” he explained. This would allow better access and ease traffic in Lapsi Street. The access to the car park would only be from Mikiel Anġ Borg Road.

The planning control application also established the height limitation of the proposed car park from Mikiel Anġ Borg Road, which cannot be higher than the street level of Lapsi Street.

The project was recommended for approval but case officer Peter Cefai, from the Planning Directorate, said they believed that it was not ideal for residences as it “would be an extension of the town centre, which, so far, stops at the church”. It was better to build offices, he pointed out.

A number of Lapsi Street residents expressed concern at the project and board chairman Austin Walker pointed out that these would be assessed in the planning application stage.