No decision on Marsalforn building heights, PA says

The Planning Authority Board tomorrow will not be discussing or taking a decision on the building heights or amended plans of a planning application in Marsalforn, which could see the height of an apartment block increased, “as incorrectly stated by Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar,” but rather on a condition imposed last October.

The PA was referring to a statement by FAA, which said that the application which will see the height of an apartment block increase to twelve floors is a “a PA-blessed attempt to transform Marsalforn into a high-rise area” and displays a “PA that is operating without a conscience, morality or regard for the truth.”

The authority said yesterday: “The board is being requested to reconsider an existing development planning permission condition which was imposed back in October 2016 when the applicant had requested certain amendments to a development permission which had been issued in 2006 and renewed in January 2013.

The condition imposed a bank guarantee of €50,000 to ensure that by June 2017, the retaining walls around the site are constructed and any hoarding or obstructions beyond the building alignment, encroaching on the public pavement or road are removed. The condition also requires that the road and pavement surfaces are reinstated to the satisfaction of the local council.

The condition was imposed to address the inconvenience that the hoarding and obstructions of this site was creating to residents and traffic in the area.”

The PA said “the ongoing development at this large site, fronting Triq Il-Qbajjar, Triq ta’ Barda u Triq Il-Forn in Qbajjar in Marsalforn, Gozo was granted a planning permission in August 2006 through the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) policy. In January 2013, the applicant had been granted permission to renew the permit. The new FAR policy, approved in May 2014, precludes Gozo as an area where the policy can be applied and used for new proposed development.”