The manner in which an area of Marsa was chosen for a partial review of the Grand Harbour local plan and the piecemeal approach in which partial reviews were being carried out did not foster good planning, the Chamber of Architects said this morning.

Instead of a national strategy for planning, the Planning Authority seemed to be taking different approaches to different areas, such as by carrying out a Local Plan review for the Marsa park site, while taking the approach of a development framework/masterplan for the Paceville Area, the chamber said.

"It is not clear what criteria are being considered to determine the approach for each locality."

The chamber noted that although it was reported that the overall review of local plans was not likely to take place before the next election, the Planning Authority was undergoing several reviews in a piecemeal fashion.

"This is unacceptable, and clarity should be provided," it said.

This is unacceptable, and clarity should be provided

Marsa, it said, should not be treated in isolation. It suffered for several decades from an evident lack of planning. Its urban environment was degraded and it was unattractive for residential purposes. This trend had to be reversed.

But the proposed review showed no evidence that the proposed type and scale of commercial development could lead to the reversal of Marsa’s fortunes, nor did it outline how the Marsa community might eventually benefit from any envisaged development.

The plan did not include measures to support and strengthen the local community and provide for their needs. It also lacked measures to shield the community from the effects of the traffic were ill-considered or inadequate.

The Planning Authority, the chamber said, should be responsible for a comprehensive plan which ought to include community needs, road transport re-alignment, environment improvement and flooding mitigation measures.

These should be integral components of any planning proposal for the future regeneration of Marsa and the Marsa Park. The Marsa Park review should not be released until long term solutions for these issues were sought and taken on board, it said.

The chamber noted that the junction between Triq Dicembru 13 and Triq Aldo Moro was no man’s land and should have no place in a regenerated Marsa town. The entrance to Marsa from the south needed to be restudied as part of this process, and the southern edge of the town, so poor yet so prominent, should be replanned.

The chamber’s comments in full can be read in the pdf link below.