A project which would have seen the demolition of a large house – Villa Degiorgio - at the top of Dingli Street and its replacement with a block of apartments was refused by the Mepa board this morning.

At the end of the public meeting, a man had to be restrained by a number of people and the police after aggressively approached Astrid Vella, the coordinator of environment NGO Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar, which had objected to the project.

The man was heard shouting swear words and using threatening language against Mrs Vella.

Objectors to the project successfully argued that even though the project had been scaled down, its approval would be detrimental to the area and it violated environment policies. They insisted, in particular, that the project would worsen the already acute problem of traffic congestion in the area known as Tat-tliet sigriet.

Giving the project the go-ahead would also have opened the door for similar development permission for other properties, they said.

In a statement, Mepa explained that allthough the façade of the existing building was to be retained and the developer, at reconsideration stage, downsized the scale of the proposed development, the board felt that the proposed development will comprise the visual integrity of the existing streetscape which is until today predominantly that of two floors. 

The Mepa Board also pointed out that the proposed development will create an overdevelopment on the site and negatively impact one of Sliema’s ‘green lung’ open spaces which are fundamental to the character of the Urban Conservation Area.