Żabbar Local Council appeals elderly home development permit

The Ħaż-Żabbar Local Council has appealed against the Planning Authority’s decision to approve an elderly home in the centre of the locality.

The proposed development, in Misraħ tal-Madonna Medjatrici, involves the demolition of an existing building.

Although the developer previously reduced the project’s scale by two storeys, the local council maintains that the resulting structure remains massive and will cause irreversible damage to the visual and architectural cohesion of the urban space.

The project was the subject of a protest last December led by the Labour-led local council and a number of NGOs. The protest was even endorsed by Labour MPs, PL deputy president Alex Agius Saliba, and saw Finance Minister Clyde Caruana in attendance. 

The main concern raised by the local council is the project's proximity to the iconic and protected parish church, which is just across the street from the site. The council argues that the proposed height of the retirement home will compete for attention with the church and disrupt the character of the square.

The local council highlighted that the development fails to provide nine required parking spaces.

As the case moves to the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal, the local council continues to warn of a potential spillover effect that could permanently alter the uniform design of the town’s square.

The appeal was presented by lawyers Veronique Dalli and Rachel Powell.