An application for a development permit to allow the change of use of a showroom in Gozo into a prayer room was turned down because of the inadequate car parking provision.

The Planning Authority refused the permit for the proposed place of worship in a showroom at Triq Karlu Galea in Victoria, claiming that it “will generate activity that is considered incompatible with a predominantly residential area and will thus create bad neighbour development.”

The traffic and parking impact generated by places of worship seem to be developing into a major concern in the determination of planning permits for them.

Earlier this month, the planning watchdog did not follow the planning directorate’s recommendation to approve an application from a local Pentecostal church to convert an empty ground-floor showroom on a busy road in Blata l-Bajda into a place of worship for 108 people.

It will thus create bad neighbour development

The Live Seed Pentecostal Church’s proposal would have led to a parking shortfall of 11 car spaces.

A similar application by the Malta Muslim Council, which had sought to convert a large garage in Santa Venera into a place of worship for the community, was turned down last year.

On that occasion, the Planning Authority cited the lack of parking provision as a reason to refuse the application, despite it also being recommended for approval.

The floor area of the proposed place of worship in Victoria, Gozo, is 142sqm.

Following the American Institute of Architects’ guidelines, the Planning Authority calculated that the prayer room’s maximum capacity was 142 worshippers, thereby requiring 14 car spaces.

Since three spaces were already available in the premises’ basement garage, a shortfall of 11 was calculated.

Physical accessibility was identified as another problem in the proposal.

During the processing of the application, the National Commission Persons with Disability (KNPD) requested a number of revisions to ensure compliance with access for all standards.

However, the final submissions were not compliant with the standards.