The Malta Environment and Planning Authority has approved planning permission for an expansion of the MCP Floriana Car Park, which will also incorporate an extensive public open roof garden.

The new development will consist in the construction of the unbuilt central section of the car park, resulting in an additional 443 car parking spaces. The development will also include a vast extent of soft landscaping and the introduction of a pedestrian walk-way linking the roof garden of the carpark to the adjacent existing public garden.

Although over the years the existing car park has served its original intentions, its design was always considered to be a ‘scar’ to the entrance to Valletta, Mepa said.

"This new public roof garden will not only address this appearance issue but will compliment and continue to add prestige to the recent design projects that have and are taking place in the vicinity," it said.

The project will be concluded prior to Valletta becoming the European Capital of Culture in 2018. The public garden will comprise a mixture of trees, palms and shrubs, together with street furniture in the form of benches, basins and adequately scattered sculptures.

OLD PARLIAMENT CHAMBER

The Mepa board also gave its planning permission for the dismantling of the seating setup from the former parliament chamber in the Grand Master’s Palace in Valletta and the installation of a temporary conference layout for Malta's presidency of the EU in 2017. Prior to the installation of the temporary setup, restoration works will also be carried out within the chamber.

The Mepa board gave its consent subject that all the original movable and immovable objects and features of the former Parliament are carefully dismantled by hand, labelled and stored including the Speaker chair, which is to be conserved in its entirety.