Sliema residents are rallying against a development proposal which experts say would “mutilate” a well-preserved row of three-storey townhouses.
The Planning Authority will decide tomorrow whether to approve an extra two floors, one set back, atop one of the traditional houses in Trejqet Sant’Injazju, to convert it into two duplex apartments.
The building forms part of a uniform row of Art Deco townhouses, with a high level of architectural value reflected in a B+ street categorisation, while the opposite side of the road is made up mostly of newer six-storey buildings.
The proposal is recommended for approval and the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage has raised no objections. But residents and NGOs have vehemently protested, arguing that it ignores the characteristics of the surrounding buildings, which are within the Sliema urban conservation area.
Among the objectors, the Sliema Heritage Society said that the project would result in the “mutilation of this largely well-preserved row of houses”, while Din L-Art Ħelwa described it as “insensitive to the context”.
Architect Carmel Cacopardo, representing neighbouring residents, added that the proposal was in conflict with policies in the Strategic Plan for Environment and Development, which stress the need for “context-driven development”.
Another resident called for the structural capacity of the existing buildings, built around the 1930s, to be considered before any development was approved.
The PA case officer, who recommended the project for approval, maintained that the application was in line with all relevant planning policies, and that structural issues were the developers’ responsibility.
Modern habitation will not adversely affect the character of the building
The case officer said: “The interventions proposed are minimal and will adapt the existing building for modern habitation and will not adversely affect the character of the building, in that no features of architectural importance will be negatively impacted.”
While the proposal will not involve the demolition of the property, objectors see it as the latest in a spike of applications targeting characteristic townhouses for apartments or guesthouses over the last year.
Similar applications have sprouted across the town, including in other well-preserved rows in Dingli Street and lower Sacro Cuor Street, with newer, existing buildings in turn used to justify furth-er development. While some applications retain the building’s original facade, objectors say the additional levels disturb the character of the traditional streetscape.
The Sliema Heritage Society, one of a number of organisations militating against the developments, recently announced that it would be focusing its resources on education, due to “a general disinterest in preserving the heritage fabric of Sliema”.