Sliema Council opposes fuel station expansion onto promenade

The Sliema Local Council has objected to a proposed redevelopment of the Speedy Petrol Station on Triq it-Torri, warning that the application would result in the loss of public open space, the removal of protected trees, and will have a negative impact on residential amenity and nearby heritage sites.

The planning application, submitted by Sliema Service Station Ltd, seeks to demolish existing structures and replace them with a revamped fuel station featuring an ancillary shop or office, a canopy fitted with photovoltaic panels, and underground fuel tanks requiring excavation.

While the proposal follows an earlier permit approved in 2020 but never implemented, the new plans deviate from it by extending further into the public promenade and removing a row of mature trees behind the site — an area not affected by the previous permit.

The site lies adjacent to the busy Sliema promenade along the popular coastal walkway connecting Sliema and St Julian’s. It is designated as public open space under Policy NHRL01 of the North Harbour Local Plan and lies in close proximity to two scheduled sites, including the Carmelite convent garden.

In an objection submitted by lawyer Claire Bonello, the council warned that the development would encroach onto the paved public promenade and a layby, breaching policies that prohibit the loss of urban public open spaces.

The objection also highlights that several mature palm trees scheduled for removal are protected under the 2018 Trees and Woodlands Regulations, which safeguard trees in urban open spaces. Their removal, the council argues, would degrade the area’s environmental quality and harm biodiversity.

The council also expressed concern that traffic generated by the redeveloped fuel station would intensify congestion and increase emissions in a high-density residential area. The inclusion of a shop and office, the council argued, amounts to an unjustified intensification of use in a residential area.

The council also pointed out that the Carmelite convent is just 40 metres away, while the Carmelite church lies between 70 and 110 metres from the station. According to the 2020 Fuel Station Policy, new or redeveloped stations are not permitted within 150 metres of a church — a condition breached by the proposal.

Finally, the council questioned whether the fuel station can still be considered “existing” under the Fuel Station Policy, given that it has been inactive for several years. It argued that in the absence of ongoing activity, the new application should be assessed as a fresh development — and rejected accordingly.

The Sliema Local Council has registered as an interested third party and called on the Planning Authority to refuse the application.

The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage has also expressed concern regarding the potential visual impact on views from and towards the Carmelite convent and has asked for photomontages to assess the impact.