Developers seek demolition of old Qrendi farmhouse for apartment block

Developers behind a proposed residential block in Qrendi are seeking permission to demolish a vernacular farmhouse which they describe as structurally beyond repair, while promising to salvage parts of the building and recreate elements of its appearance within the new development.

The proposal concerns a site at the corner of Triq Gutenberg and Triq il-Kurat Mizzi, near Qrendi Primary School. The zoning application, presented by developer Michael Bugeja on behalf of Tan-Nadur Limited, proposes “planning parameters identical to the surrounding land use and height limitation as established in the Qrendi Local Plan”. The site was added to development zones in the controversial extension of building zones carried out in 2006. Its inclusion within the zones was conditional on an archaeological investigation of the site.

According to the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage, the vernacular structure already appeared on the 1911 Survey Sheets

According to the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage, the vernacular structure already appeared on the 1911 Survey Sheets. The farmhouse incorporates a niche housing a high-relief statue of the Madonna, framed by a cartouche and surmounted by a Cathedral cross with three circles on its arms resting on an orb. The niche, identified as Inventory No. 1802, was described by the SCH as being of “evident cultural heritage value”.

The latest plans foresee the demolition of the existing farmhouse and its replacement with a modern apartment block incorporating a reconstructed stone-clad corner façade intended to mimic the silhouette of the original building. According to the project description submitted by architect Perit Anthony Robinson, original stone blocks recovered from the demolished structure would be reused to recreate part of the vernacular appearance.

The scheme also includes the preservation of the Madonna niche currently located within the farmhouse’s private garden. Under the proposal, the niche would be dismantled and inserted into the external façade of the new building as a permanent public feature.

In his report, Robinson argues that the farmhouse has reached an “advanced state of structural dilapidation”, making restoration “impossible”. The architect states that the external masonry walls have developed a “considerable outward tilt” and are in “imminent danger of collapse”.

According to the report, the structure has only remained standing over the past three years because of heavy concrete retaining blocks installed as emergency support. Photographs included in the application allegedly show substantial masonry failure dating back to July 2021, before the temporary propping interventions were introduced.

The architect also argues that demolition is partly being driven by infrastructure requirements linked to a Planning Authority road scheme intended to complete a ring road extension in the locality. Robinson states that Transport Malta identified the “best possible solution” for traffic circulation and road safety as the straight alignment of Triq Gutenberg with its existing southern trajectory.

Because the farmhouse projects into the proposed road alignment, the Planning Authority’s block plan would require its removal to accommodate a wider roadway and a three-metre front garden. Robinson describes the proposal, combining road alignment works with the salvage of the farmhouse façade and religious niche, as the “most sensible scheme” for the site.

But comments submitted earlier by the SCH reveal strong reservations about the proposed approach.

In comments filed in March, the SCH noted that Transport Malta had not explicitly requested the demolition of the farmhouse. The heritage watchdog quoted Transport Malta’s own position, which stated that while the proposed alignment was recommended from a transport perspective, there “may be other overriding considerations emanating from other entities or for planning reasons”.

Consequently, the SCH insisted that “from a heritage perspective, the vernacular structure should be retained in situ, restored, and integrated into any future development”.

The Superintendence also referred favourably to an earlier proposal by the developers, which envisaged preserving the building within the development rather than dismantling it and retaining only fragments of its appearance.

At the same time, the SCH acknowledged that if the Planning Authority ultimately determines that road alignment or other planning considerations necessitate dismantling the structure, the entire building should be reconstructed elsewhere on the site.

The watchdog strongly recommended that the farmhouse be “entirely dismantled and fully reconstructed as is” further back within the development footprint, rather than reduced to isolated features incorporated into a contemporary block.

The SCH also warned that any future full development application should be accompanied by a comprehensive cultural heritage assessment evaluating impacts on the surrounding area, including archaeology, height, and massing.

Għaqda Residenti tal-Qrendi is objecting to the development, claiming that the proposed buildings will overshadow the school courtyard, dominate the entryway into the village, and stand out sharply against the surrounding two-storey Urban Conservation Area, disrupting the historic skyline.