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James Debono
The Malta Environment and Planning Authority is paving the way for an intensification of development within Mellieha’s Santa Marija estate, on plots purchased by Sandro Chetcuti – the president of the Malta Chamber of SMEs’ (GRTU) developers section.
The plots were purchased from Cenmed, a company owned by Albert Mizzi, which has already waived conditions which restrict development of the plots in this particular area to one-storey bungalows.
A 500-strong petition has been collected by residents of the Santa Marija estate against changes in the local plan allowing a higher density of buildings in an area which was once restricted to bungalow development.
Back in 2003, MEPA had turned down an application to add an extra floor on a detached bungalow in the same area but now MEPA has relaxed conditions to allow a building density of 16 dwellings in this part of Santa Marija, as well as increasing the building density from 30 per cent to 40 per cent in another area.
Residents are incensed by the lack of consultation and the way the changes were pushed through, right in the middle of the August holiday lull.
But developer Sandro Chetcuti, who was aggrieved by a MEPA permit for a four-storey building that was developed adjacent to his own Santa Marija villa, is now satisfied that MEPA has redressed its mistake by allowing him to develop 12 villas in three separate detached blocks.
Residents claim that adjacent properties will be devaluated due to the relaxation in building heights and the increase of traffic in the area.
They also claim excavations below their properties would undermine the foundations of their bungalows.
Domino effect
MEPA’s decision to relax building heights on part of Santa Marija, which has been restricted to bungalow development since 1963, exposes a history of planning decisions which have had a domino effect on development in this once tranquil area.
Formerly a buffer zone between Is-Sellum and Santa Marija estate, the land sold by the Church to Cenmed, in 2004 MEPA issued development permits with the excuse that it should serve as a transition zone between the high-rise Sellum development by Tumas Fenech, and the Santa Marija bungalows.
But according to MEPA’s new North West local plan, these permits constituted an abrupt development between the new development and the bungalow area, which is why it has now relaxed building height restrictions, and allowed higher density buildings in another area of Santa Marija to act as a second transition zone between the newly approved development and Santa Marija estate.
A planning application to construct residential units in this area was presented by Yvette Chetcuti, the wife of Sandro Chetcuti, in 2005.
Mizzi waives conditions
Like all other plot owners in the Santa Marija estate, Sandro Chetcuti had bought his property from Cenmed, owned by multi-millionaire businessman Bertu Mizzi, under the condition that only bungalows are developed.
But Chetcuti paid a sum of money to Mizzi’s company to have this condition waived.
Contacted by MaltaToday, Mizzi confirmed that plots in Santa Marija were originally sold on this condition.
But asked whether he agreed with MEPA’s change of policy allowing the development of smaller apartments on part of the estate, Mizzi simply said that since he had sold these plots he had no interest in the matter.
Chetcuti insists that despite having this condition waived by Mizzi, only MEPA could decide whether to relax building heights and allow higher density development in the area.
For the past years, Mizzi has offered to scrap contracts limiting development in Santa Marija valley for as much as Lm15,000 so that owners of villas could build more semi-detached villas or even apartments.
Aggrieved with MEPA
Contacted by MaltaToday, Sandro Chetcuti insisted that rather than being accommodated by MEPA, he was himself a victim of wrong planning policies when MEPA allowed Tumas Group to develop a buffer zone separating Santa Marija estate from the Sellum development.
“Not even former minister Lorry Sant had permitted this development in what used to be a white area free from development,” Chetcuti said, who had objected to this development.
Chetcuti insists he would have preferred to enjoy his villa in Santa Marija, but by granting a permit for a four-storey development to be built adjacent to his property, MEPA’s decision to grant permits in the buffer zone had practically ruined his investment.
“I was practically over shadowed by this development,” he said,
So far only phase 1 of the buffer zone development has been completed. Phase 2 is not yet completed and only excavations have been conducted. But Chetcuti claims that a photomontage of the proposed development shows that his villa will be over-shadowed.
But now Chetcuti is satisfied by the solution offered by MEPA.
“Although I still feel discriminated against as the developers of the buffer zone were allowed to go higher than me, MEPA has come with a reasonable solution by allowing me to build just one extra floor.”
Chetcuti claims that MEPA had come up with this reasonable solution after a site inspection on his property during which MEPA realised the impact of the adjacent development on his villa.
Residents rebut
According to the new local plan, MEPA’s decision to grant permits on an adjacent site resulted in a change in character between the multi-storey development allowed in the buffer zone, and the one-storey bungalow area which is described as being “too abrupt” and that a row of bungalow sites in the area owned by Chetcuti has been “adversely affected by the new scheme.”
MEPA claims this change in policy is aimed at achieving a more gradual change in densities, building heights, layout and design between the two areas.
When development permits were granted to Tumas Group to develop the buffer zone in three phases, residents had presented a judicial objection.
Residents claim that in reply to this objection, MEPA officials had convincingly explained to residents and objectors that a transition to ensure a gradual transition between the new Tumas development and their bungalows.
They also refer to a Development Control Commission meeting held in December 2004 during which it was agreed that a full storey was to be knocked off completely from the presented plans by the developer on the border of Santa Marija estate in order to create a perfect transition.
Subsequently the Santa Maria estate residents withdrew that same objection.
In fact another policy in the new local plan still refers to the area covered by the Tumas development as a transition zone.
But residents are now incensed to learn that the same local plan identifies Chetcuti’s property as a transitional area between the original transition zone and their properties.
Residents argue that if MEPA is now acknowledging a mistake in the transition they had promised when granting a permit to Tumas Group, they should not correct a mistake with another mistake by allowing further development in the bungalow area of Santa Maria estate and forcing another transition.
jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt
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