20 terraced houses in Dingli could be demolished for five-storey development

A planning application proposes demolishing 20 terraced houses along a 125-metre stretch of Guze Ellul Mercer Street in Dingli. The 2,550 square metre site would be replaced with five-storey apartment blocks.

As proposed, the new development along this part of the street will consist of a ground floor, three overlying full floors, and a receded penthouse level.

The uniform height of the new development will avoid blank party walls except at the edges of the site, but will considerably increase the building height in an area characterised by low-rise terraced houses.

The application is being presented by Victor Cuschieri, who does not own the entire site but is authorised to carry out the proposed development through an agreement with the property owners.

Although located in a relatively modern part of Dingli, characterised by dwellings built in the 1970s, the new block is still 65 metres from the Urban Conservation Area and not far from the Church of St Mary. However, a five storey blocks have already been developed in the area between the terraced houses and the church.