A planning decision on a proposed four-storey apartment block adjacent to a villa in Tarxien, formerly belonging to Dom Mintoff, was postponed yesterday to allow new plans to be submitted.
The property, which is known as The Olives, was recently granted Grade 1 scheduling – the highest possible level of protection and one usually reserved for national monuments – for its architectural value as well as “its historical, political and social significance”.
This level of scheduling also covers the building’s setting, protecting against development in the immediate vicinity.
An application to demolish an adjacent terraced house to build a block of apartments and maisonettes had been set for rejection even before the scheduling decision, as it would create “an additional extensive blank party wall overlooking a site of historic and architectural importance”.
The proposal threatened a national heritage building
However, as the scheduling decision had been made just two weeks ago, the project architect argued on Thursday that he had not been informed of this possibility during the application process and had not been left with sufficient time to redesign the plans.
Fresh designs were submitted earlier this week, creating a setback to avoid a blank party wall, but these could not be assessed ahead of the hearing.
Lawyer Daniel Micallef, representing Dom Mintoff’s daughter Yana Mintoff Bland, said valid objections already existed before the villa was scheduled, and the decision had strengthened those concerns.
He said the proposal threatened a national heritage building and a residential property, highlighting privacy concerns.
Representing the developer, lawyer Ian Stafrace argued that Grade 1 scheduling was reserved for buildings in Urban Conservation Areas, unlike the Mintoff villa.
He insisted that the proposed development was in line with the height limitations set out in planning policy and that the Planning Authority should have gone through other channels if there was a need for a buffer zone around the villa.