The planning commission has requested fresh plans of a retractable bridge connecting the new judiciary chambers in Strait Street, Valletta.
The applicant needs to justify why it is not possible to connect the two buildings through an underground passage
The applicant was given time to submit new drawings of the development to meet accessibility guidelines and obtain clearance from the disability commission, a planning authority spokesman said.
Filed by the director of courts, the application is to build a retractable bridge connecting the judiciary offices to the court building from the second floor.
However, the planning commission, which was expected to decide on the application last week, has put off the decision to next month.
“The applicant has been asked to submit a safety report for the retractable bridge endorsed by a warranted engineer and needs to justify why it is not possible to connect the two buildings through an underground passage,” the spokesman explained.
The new judiciary chambers were at the centre of a controversy last year after the upper floors stood in stark contrast against the old houses in Bakery Street.
Following a public outcry, the Government said the new floors would be rebuilt as a recessed structure. Works on the building involved joining two houses in Strait Street and raising the structure to eight floors.
In the case officer’s report, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage objected to the development.
An “unauthorised bridge at this location” was the subject of enforcement action and had been removed.
The superintendence “is concerned that the proposed bridge would have a negative visual impact on the streetscape and draws attention to the nearby retractable bridge (connecting Marks and Spencer), which may be seen as an example of an impact”.
The proposed bridge did not match Valletta’s historic environment and was not compatible with its status given by the world heritage authority Unesco, it added.
Meanwhile, the case officer pointed out the issue of retracting the bridge “is trivial since it will still have a negative impact on the streetscape while open”. Retracting the bridge “is not an enforceable issue”.
Following consultation with the disability commission, it was noted the bridge was accessed through a flight of steps because of the difference in levels between the two buildings.
The planning report recommended refusing the case, saying that it would detract from the area and its design was “unacceptable” because it lacked coordination, “contains a variety of disparate styles and fails to respect or reflect the local context”.