Heritage watchdog warns of domino effect on Zebbug streetscape with Dar Bjorn extension

The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage is objecting to a five-storey extension of Dar Bjorn in Zebbug, warning this would create a domino effect on the streetscape.

The heritage watchdog said the extension would set a precedent for similar developments in a street which merits inclusion in the locality’s urban conservation area located just 36m away.

The ALS foundation led by the tireless campaigner and fund raiser Bjorn Formosa is eyeing an even larger facility in Ħaż-Żebbuġ by connecting its existing six-storey respite home to a new five-storey facility to be developed instead of a townhouse in the narrow Triq Paris.

The request is to demolish the townhouse, retain the façade and add three storeys and an underground car park, to house eight residential rooms and two therapy rooms.

The top two storeys will be stepped back to minimise the visual impact.

But the SCH has expressed concern on the project’s impact on Triq Paris which has a “highly legible and preserved streetscape” characterised by similar traditional houses that “merit inclusion” in Zebbug’s  Urban Conservation Area located just 36m away.

Moreover, the property earmarked for development is also considered to have cultural heritage value, evident from several traditional features, including the cornice on the façade and a formal entrance hall and staircase in the interior of the house.

The SCH also warned that the proposal will result in an extensive blank party wall bearing onto the existing preserved streetscape and which could have “a domino and negative effect” on the buffer zone for a scheduled windmill.

The Superintendence has made it clear that it can only consider an extra floor and a limited roof structure. With regards to the proposed demolition, the Superintendence is calling for the preservation of the entrance hall, stairs and front rooms which it wants integrated in the development.

The SCH does not have a veto on permits issued by the Planning Authority but its recommendations have to be considered in the assessment and eventual recommendation made by the case officer.

More than 200 residents are objecting to the proposed development. The project is being designed by XYZ Limited, a company owned by PL deputy leader Daniel Jose Micallef.

Residents also expressed concern on the traffic impact on the narrow Triq Paris, and the effect on the structural stability of their houses which may be undermined by excavation.

The care home was approved in 2018 and came as a result of the tireless fundraising initiatives captained by ALS sufferer and activist Bjorn Formosa.

The six-storey facility was approved within a residential zone with a height limitation of three floors. Back then, the case officer acknowledged that the proposed development exceeds the height limitation of the area.

But noting the proposed use of the new facility, the PA’s directorate decided to apply a policy regulating the heights of old people’s homes, which permits an additional two floors over and above the number of floors permitted in the local plan, provided that “the resultant design features a high-quality product in keeping with the urban context and no blank walls are created.”