The Environment and Resources Authority did not object to revised designs for the 27-storey Townsquare high-rise in Tigné, after appealing the original approval and forcing the project back to the drawing board.
In its final report after a new environmental impact assessment, the regulator acknowledged “significant impacts on dust emissions during excavation and construction as well as on the visual amenity” but concluded that the overall project was not environmentally objectionable.
The Townsquare project was narrowly approved by the Planning Authority in 2016 ‒ in a much larger form than that proposed now ‒ amid widespread opposition from residents, the local council and environmental groups.
The environment watchdog at the time expressed serious concerns about the visual impact, the effect of construction on residents and other aspects, while, in a written memo, chairman Victor Axiak described the EIA carried out then as a “sham”.
The regulator subsequently appealed the decision, as did the local council and NGOs, and the appeals were accepted by the planning tribunal last May, forcing the developers to return with new designs, including an 11-storey reduction and a reconfiguration of the public open space.
In its reassessment of the project – published last week and one of the requirements of the appeal decision – the ERA noted that about 70% of the required excavation had already been carried out, reducing the impact on residents.
Read: Tigné residents’ fears on Townsquare project rise
During construction and finishing, it said, the impacts were still expected to be major.
While it acknowledged the major impact of dust emissions from vehicles, it said these impacts were temporary and “characteristically related to a development of this scale, also taking into account the context of the area”.
It said the impact of traffic pollution would be moderate in the short term for residents and pedestrians in the immediate vicinity but insignificant by 2027.
It strongly recommended the implementation of a Green Travel Plan – which the developers have committed to – to offset negative impacts.
The regulator again highlighted the project’s major visual impact and said that, given the scale being proposed, the impacts were hard to mitigate.
The revised project has still to be assessed by the Planning Directorate, which will issue a recommendation ahead of a final decision by the PA. The developers have argued that the new designs comprehensively address the revisions requested in the appeal decision.
They said the 7,500 square metres of open space proposed would become the largest pedestrian zone in Sliema’s town centre.
While retaining the same area as originally proposed, the developers said the space had been reconfigured to include a better flow for pedestrians, substantially more greenery and a landscaped rear garden, all accessible to the public.
Changes to the tower, they said, would “dramatically reduce” its visual impact.
The development will include 159 apartments, retail outlets, a business centre, dining outlets, cafés and underground parking as well as the restoration of the historic Villa Drago.