The Planning Authority has rejected an application to build 30 apartments over a 250-year-old baroque scheduled garden in Għaxaq.
The application was unanimously rejected during a hearing on Thursday after an outcry which resulted in hundreds of objections being filed with the Planning Authority.
Filed by Michael Paris on behalf of the heirs of the late Mary Paris, the proposal sought to excavate basement level of garages, the construction of 30 residential units over five levels, including the penthouse level, and the restoration of garden area. The site is in Triq Il-Ħatem, Għaxaq.
The area forms part of Palazzo Giannin, a 250-year-old palazzo, which is a Grade 2 scheduled property that includes a number of baroque architectural decorations. It is a protected green enclave with a number of trees that are also protected.
The 18th-century palace and its gardens were scheduled at Grade 2 in 2013, after an outline permit for the apartment blocks was granted at appeal. The owners insist the scheduling is void and that the project would regenerate a dilapidated garden.
However, the full development application, submitted early last year, was recommended for refusal after the PA case officer concluded that it failed to respect the scheduling status and would have negatively impact the historic building.
Project architect Edwin Mintoff argued during Thursday’s hearing that new plans submitted at a late stage in the application process - and not considered because they constituted a material change - would significantly improve the project.
Under the new plans, he said, only 20% of the gardens would be built up, and the buildings had been shifted to the area with the least heritage value.
The case officer nevertheless said these changes would not have addressed the issues with the development even had they been considered.
Objectors, among them Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar, had argued that the garden of Palazzo Giannin along with those of Villa Mekrech and Ġnien tal-Kmand, are historical green enclaves in Għaxaq.
A representative of the Għaxaq council said the gardens constituted heritage of national importance and merited protection, while residents argued during the hearing that approving the development would make a mockery of the scheduling process.
The Palazzo Giannin garden contains a number of baroque architectural decorations and serves as a landmark of the village. It also contains many protected trees including oaks, olive trees and Aleppo pines.