Mepa has revoked the controversial permit for a room built on top of a row of uniform Sliema townhouses in Rudolph Street.

A case officer explained at a Planning Board meeting today that the original permit was in line with local plans, allowing an additional floor that had to be recessed by two metres.

However inspections by the Enforcement Unit showed that the width of the road was different to what had been declared by the architect. This discrepancy had a material bearing on the decision, the case officer explained.

The board unanimously approved the revocation of the permit. 

Following this decision the applicant will need to demolish the existing room and can only construct a stairwell/washroom receded from both Rudolph and Alphonse street.

The MEPA Board also granted planning permission for the demolition and reconstruction of a new hotel at a site located within the development zone of Qawra. The new hotel which will have a building height of four floors is presently occupied by an existing aparthotel which has a height varying between one and three floors.

Mepa also gave the go-ahead for the complete decommissioning of the  Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) depot at Qajjenza, in the northern periphery of Birzebbuga.

The plant was taken out of service because it is close to houses.

The decommissioning project involves the removal of all residual traces of LPG therefore rendering the network and storage vessels and the dismantling of the LPG pipe network and LPG storage facilities.