Authorities flag major concerns over Xemxija mega-development

A mega development proposed on Xemxija ridge could have potentially significant environmental, ecological, and visual impacts, the environment watchdog has warned.

This concern has led the Environment and Resources Authority to conclude that a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Appropriate Assessment (AA) are required.

The project, which covers a 14,035sq.m site overlooking Mistra Valley, proposes 13 levels above ground comprising of residences, retail outlets, a supermarket, food and drink establishments, and extensive underground parking over three levels. The scheme would result in a gross floor area of over 72,000sq.m, replacing an existing garigue landscape with a dense urban complex set to include 300 apartments.

The project is being proposed by Chetgau Development Ltd, a company whose shareholders are Orta Ltd (ultimately owned by Tony Gauci and family members), Yvette Chetcuti and Francis Gauci.

ERA’s screening highlights the site’s ecological sensitivity, noting the presence of protected orchid species and freshwater rockpools within the garigue habitat. While the proposal includes a designated orchid conservation zone, the authority warns that the effectiveness of such a measure remains uncertain without further detailed assessment, particularly in relation to shading, light pollution, and microclimatic changes.

The authority also raises concerns over the project’s visual and landscape impact, pointing to the scale and height of the proposed buildings in contrast to the surrounding semi-rural and valley environment. The transformation of the site, ERA notes, would represent a substantial change in land use and visual amenity, especially in views from Mistra Valley.

Traffic generation is another key issue, with the development expected to generate around 1,670 additional daily vehicle movements, potentially more than doubling flows on nearby residential streets. ERA warns that this could have knock-on effects on air quality and noise levels in the surrounding area.

Hydrological concerns are also flagged, given the site’s position above the Miżieb aquifer and the scale of deep excavation required for underground parking, which will produce tens of thousands of cubic metres of excavated material.

ERA further notes the proximity of the site to the Simar Natura 2000 SAC/SPA, a protected wetland area supporting sensitive habitats and bird species. It concludes that it cannot be ruled out at this stage that the development may adversely affect the integrity of this protected site, particularly through light and noise disturbance.

The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage (SCH) has also issued a strongly critical assessment of the proposal, warning that the site lies within a highly sensitive archaeological and scenic context. It notes that the area forms part of the Xemxija Area of Archaeological Importance and contains known features such as cart-ruts, tombs and other heritage remains, including a recorded cart-rut within the development footprint itself. SCH stresses that the scale and height of the proposed buildings would introduce a dominant structure visible from long distances, significantly affecting key cultural landscape vistas, including those from Selmun Ridge. The authority concludes that the scheme would result in a significant adverse visual impact and is not favourable in its current form